Feeling the stir of spring in your veins? Wishing you could grow something but you don’t have the space? Then this post is for you!!
Indoor/container/balcony gardening is a great way to enjoy spring in an apartment, with very young children, if you experience mobility challenges, or if you just enjoy having a garden as a roommate! There are a lot of resources out there, but I have found the following books fun for their indoor/micro-scale gardening possibilities. They are both available on Amazon, but you can also probably find them on your favorite online bookstore, or you can order them from your favorite brick and mortar store! I hope you enjoy them, too.
- The Apartment Farmer by Duane Newcomb — both editions. The first edition is out of print, but your local library’s Inter-Library Loan Service should be able to access it for you for a small charge. The first edition has lots of tips for balcony-type applications and even lists a variety of small sweet corn that can be grown well in just 8”-deep growing boxes. The second edition – which is available online in paperback – focuses on mainly indoor applications.
- Growing Tasty Tropical Plants (olive lemons, limes, citrons, grapefruit, kumquats, sunquats, Tahitian oranges, Barbados cherries, figs, guavas, dragon fruit miracle berries, olives, passion fruit, coffee, chocolate, tea, black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and more…) — in any home, anywhere by Laurelynn G. Martin and Byron E. Martin, owners of of Logee’s Tropical Plants (www.logees.com). The size of your home will define how many of these delicious and exotic plants you can grow, but the possibilities are exciting. This book is available online, and comes with beautiful color photos and detailed instructions.
Good luck and happy gardening!