What is this plant?

[zazen999]

Blasphemy!

They are a lot of work - but not much else grows in winter, and besides, we love them! Definitely not worth growing on a balcony, though...

It's the keeping the bugs away that drives me nuts....I've put an enviromesh frame up for a small amount of calabrese and am doing cabbages and swedes, but that's it.

I am sowing hundreds of leeks instead, much easier and a better use of space for me. In fact, better get back to sowing the last batch of them.

[Zenithtb]

Ha! Think I sussed the sig. If I have a sig below I won the battle!

Yes, size does sometimes matter! Only up to a certain point, mind, but I believe I need a little more than I have (balcony space )

Mark

[Eyren]

I am sowing hundreds of leeks instead, much easier and a better use of space for me. In fact, better get back to sowing the last batch of them.

I like leeks too - but in moderation! I planted 40 last year and that was just about the right amount for the two of us. Any more and we'd go right off them, I think!

Good start to the blog, Mark! I came across another Mediterranean balcony blog on Blotanical last year, but I can't remember the name...

[Jardiniere]

seen the blog and the photos - what a tiny space!! Best of luck................

[Zenithtb]

Hope you thought it was cute

Mark

[MrsC]

Zenithtb, just goes to show what you can grow in a small space, love the pics. It look lovely and warm there as well

[Zenithtb]

Yeah, it does. My better half is sending me the pics as I am in UK for a month (family emergency). Well, will be back there weekend after this. Looking forward to it.

Anyone else here have a balcony? If so, what do you grow that I don't (always after new ideas )

Mark

[zazen999]

We had a balcony in our last house, on the A52 going into Nottingham...we grew chillis and peppers and cropped the last at Christmas 2006...on Christmas day. It's that that started off our family tradition of a full blow chilli-out rather than Christmas dinner...yummy...nachos for starters...and we do patatas bravas in the evening as well.

[Creemteez]

Well done for actually getting a quart into a pint pot!
But hey! What about all that space on the outside of the balcony rail? any chance of a window box or two? Tumbling Toms would do really nicely!
BTW what IS the wieghtload capacity of your balcony????

[Zenithtb]

Weeeelllll..... As I don't like spicy food, I won't be doing chillis :-)
And Creemteez, you've touched a sore spot We >are< a little concerned about the amount of gravel, compost and water that are suspended over a pavement Although allotments are not common anymore in Spain (as most people don't have gardens, the culture isn't there) I was thinking of asking a local farmer (of oranges - Valencia region) if I could snaffle a wee bit of his land for myself. Maybe in exchange for helping him out every so often.
I blame my Mother (who passed away last night) as she was the one who got me (male, early 30's) into this plant related stuff But she was proud of my little plot, and I shall continue, micro-maggots withstanding

Mark

[Zenithtb]

Oh, and just remembered something else you wrote - space on the railing: money! Rail-hanging troughs (?) are €20 each, and I is between jobs...! If I could, I would - trust me!

Mark

[Florence Fennel]

Weeeelllll..... As I don't like spicy food, I won't be doing chillis :-)
And Creemteez, you've touched a sore spot We >are< a little concerned about the amount of gravel, compost and water that are suspended over a pavement Although allotments are not common anymore in Spain (as most people don't have gardens, the culture isn't there) I was thinking of asking a local farmer (of oranges - Valencia region) if I could snaffle a wee bit of his land for myself. Maybe in exchange for helping him out every so often.
I blame my Mother (who passed away last night) as she was the one who got me (male, early 30's) into this plant related stuff But she was proud of my little plot, and I shall continue, micro-maggots withstanding

Mark

Are you sure there's a balcony amongst all those plants Mark? Good luck with it all and my condolences for your loss.

[Eco-Chic]

((( Mark ))), my sincere condolences on the loss of your mother.

How about fixing some brackets or angle irons onto the wall and putting some of the troughs onto the brackets to lighten the load on the balcony floor? P'raps you could use some hanging baskets too?

[Eco-Chic]

Or...fix some chains from the rail to the balcony above, so that it supports your balcony

[Zenithtb]

Eco-Chic, Florence Fennel: Many thanks for your thougths.
Eco-Chic: 'Cos it's rented and I cannot turn the walls into Swiss-cheese, even if it would maximise the space more. Besides, if I put things on the wall, it'd free up floor-space which would demand something be planted there... ! Besides, I have already mounted a (self-built ) bird house on the wall, and have a (ditto!) bird table attached to a post, which is Jubalee-clipped to the railing... The doors opening onto the balcony are about 1.5m wide so... already there is not very much 'actually go onto the balcony' space, and summer is coming. In Spain. And we haven't got air con! Oopla!

Mark