Do you know how much sun you get during the growing season? That will determine what you can grow well there. I know I face NE and am up high so nothing blocks the morning summer sun and sunlight can stream through my rail, which is an open decorative type grillwork... But in your case, you rail is solid like a wall and that might require raising the containers up high enough to get light.

The west side gets probably 1-2 hours during the summer in the mornings, and the middle and east sides tend to get 4-5 hours mid to late afternoon sun on the "floor" of the balcony, above the railing tends to get a copule more hours worth.

I was thinking of planting flowers that do well in shade (such as irises) in the SW corner.

I think it depends on what type of iris you are talking about and how much sun it needs. It seems that TB ones like more sun then say the dutch or japanese, etc.

You'll want to put the roses and veggies in the sunniest spot. You won't have to really worry about a potted honeysuckle choking anything (a potted clematis is another story altogether... LOL). Judicious pruning will help keep things in check.

There are tons of things you can put out there - so much so that you won't be able to get out there and water (like some of us have experienced... LOL). For your climate, consider some of the things you see growing all around the area - like shrub fuchsias (baby ones which could go in the window boxes for awhile), etc.

Well, my balcony has now sprouted 3 empty pots waiting for an appropriate rose bush, honesuckle plant and my vegitables (I need to buy one more pot, but since the rose bushes won't show at home depot till march or so, That can wait), a lilac bush, a beautiful spanish lavender plant that is almost fully grown, and desribed as "ever blooming" supposedly blooms from early spring to late fall, a 5 inch tall garden gnome, and a small wind chime :)

I also now have seedling trays with planted seeds of cherry tomatos and green bell peppers.

I found some gladolia bulbs at the dollar store, don't know how well they will grow on my balcony, or how good of a qualtiy they are, but for that price, I figured I could give them a try :)

LOL my grandmother now thinks I'm crazy, saying "I don't know how you are going to grow any of that on your porch" but then again, she's used to having a huge garden in her back yard. I'll just have to tak pictures and send them to her later in the summer.

Heh... you're hooked! :-p And when you take pictures, be sure to post them here too. We usually have a couple balconeer update threads to check the progress of everyone's efforts. It's a great way to see what other people are growing and give you ideas of how to set up your own garden space!

I know I need to get going ordering a few veggie seeds. I promised to start some eggplant and string beans (already have the tomato seeds they want except for a paste tomato) for my sisters. I usually don't start veg seeds here until about mid-March.

lol I think I was hooked before I ever began :)

If it proves to be too early for the vegitables, I didn't plant all of the seeds, so I can always start the seedlings over again. I just *had* to get started lol.

Yeah, I think everyone is getting antsy to get started. I'm tired of winter and we're supposed to get some snow tonight (that is also supposed to change to rain tomorrow).

But I'm not even ready to start seeds yet. I just came in from doing pruning of some of the stuff I have out there that normally gets pruned this time of year. I thinned my baby pee gee hydrangea, cut my clematis all the way back to a couple pairs of buds (the thing had new buds trying to open all over the brown vines), cut my dappled willow down to the base (it was 12" tall when I bought it last year and it grew branches that were 4ft long...heh), and I took some branches off my beautyberry (not sure what to do with that because I know it can be cut down to the base, but I don't want it to get wide when it resprouts - too little room for all that...LOL).

I have an oleander inside and I cut 2 branches off of that to root. I stuck them in a vase with a bunch of the cut-off dappled willow branches - hoping the willow water will help them along. I'm looking at a very leggy rose scented geranium that needs to be cut back (and I guess I can make cuttings of that). Also have 3, 3-year old habaneros that need to be pruned back some.

Ack. Too much to think about to do!

Now that I stop to think about it - since I planted my seeds so early, and our wether is right now about what it typically is in early april, I wonder if I was to plant a 2nd set of seedlings about halfway through the lifecycle of the first ones, if I coulod get two sets of vegitables.

Sure... Alot of people stagger the planting. I usually hear about people doing this with bulbs, spring veggies, and flowers and provided the weather cooperates, it shouldn't be an issue.

Well, I've picked a rose - I'm looking at getting westerland - supposedly it does just fine in partial shade. I just have to find a place to buy it from lol.

I've also desided to get a night-blooming Jasmine instead of the honeysuckle.

I went to the grocery store yesterday, and found small pots of a miniature daffodil, a tulip, and a pink hiacynth, all of which say "Indirect light" on the insert. Unfortunately they found their way into my basket and are now sitting on my porch lol.

I went back to home depot and found the window box brakets for use on my railing (they said the last time I was there that they didn't have any) And got the window boxes. I'll get those up next weekend, and order the herbs and the jasmine week after next (I gotta wait for my next paycheck lol)

*grin* I think I'm starting to annoy my husband...this is practically all I talk about these days. Plants, plants, and more plants, and what I would like to do with them :) So, I have to come here and talk about it to people who care ;)

Husbands can get bored easily with "plant" talk! LOL

I just got my morning glory seeds in the mail, I figure I'll plant them 3/15 or so. I finally got the cover on my balcony greenhouse so I can put started plants outside early. Last year it didn't get on at all. I ordered a bunch of stuff last night from Select Seeds. February is the LONGEST month of the year! Come on spring! I did clean off the balcony yesterday, tore down all the old MG vines, cut off the hosta foliage and a bunch of other stuff. Jenny's comment about pruning the clematis reminded me to do that, and to pull up one of them to make room for a new one this year.

And I've had two northern flickers on the balcony all winter. They like my suet cakes, and the smaller birds like my niger thistle. My balcony keeps getting better and better. My climbing and hanging roses from last year still have green canes (yay! it was an experiment), and I have snowdrops coming up.

Marie, you can do lots on your balcony. Try lilies this summer -- I did two years ago and I'm hooked!

Judith

Marie, I think you are one lucky balcony gardener. You have ideal conditions because you get some of everything with the location....sun, part sun and shade. I predict you'll have an outstanding balcony this year. :)

Yay! herbs are all ordered :)

I seem to recall seeing Jasmine at my local Home Depot, so I'm going to try to pick one up from there. I'm not positive if it was the night blooming kind or not. if not, I'll have to mail-order, which I don't want to do cause of the huge S&H cost involved. (the S&H was more than the plant!)

My tomato and pepper seeds have spriouted, so I must be doing something right LOL

I picked up a roll of left-over linolium from my work (we just re-modeled, and the roll was too big for the kitchen) and cut it to (mostly) fit my balcony, so all the water will go over the edge rather than all over my downstairs neighbor's porch.

(hope y'all don't mind me updating this, I have to gush to *someone*)

I should probably take some pictures of my new, improved balcony and post them :) I think it looks nice in spite of the glaringly empty pots, and even DH likes it!