Delicious options for small spaces
In summertime, then pretty much anything will work on a balcony, including basil, coriander, lemon grass, as long as you can provide the right conditions (not too hot, enough water, not too shady.) You will need to bring those all indoors if the temperatures drops much below 5°C, but the hardier Moroccan mint (Mentha spicata var. crispa) and its cousins can stay outside. In winter, then evergreens like creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum), winter savory (Satureja montana) or prostrate rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus “Prostratus”) which will grow off the edge of a pot in a nice tumbling fashion will provide structure and interest, as well as great fragrance and pretty flowers later in the year.
Many herbs can make spectacular specimens grown in pots, particularly if they are in well drained soil. Bay, otherwise known as Laurus nobilis, ordinary rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) and sage (Salvia officinalis) can look amazing, particularly in winter.
You’d be surprised to learn how many fruit and vegetables can do well on a balcony - if you’re a beginner than radishes, salads and strawberries are the perfect starting point. If you’re a bit more adventurous, then why not try a dwarf fruit tree? There are dozens of different varieties, all grafted onto super dwarfing root stocks and sometimes with multiple varieties grafted together to give a “family tree.”
The apple “Croquella” gets to 1m50 tall and produces from the second year, so you don’t have to wait too long for your apples! The fruit themselves are bright red, fragrant and tasty, and are reputed to have “keeping” qualities but you probably won’t have enough to need to put any in the cellar.
Figs don’t often come in dwarf forms, but the pretty “Ice crystal” only gets to about 2m tall, and was developed as an attractive ornamental plant in its’ own right. It also produces fruit twice a year, so you might get a double fig harvest.
Peaches, like “Bonanza”, “Suncrest” or the lovely “Pink Peachy” do surprisingly well in pots, as long as the pot is stable, and the plant is in well drained soil. You can expect a couple of kilos of peaches in the first couple of years, and up to 5kg when they are mature.
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