I was never one to keep a plant alive. I mean to the point that I bought a bamboo shoot to have something green in my dorm I wouldn’t kill. My roommate and I even tried to name the plants in order to inspire us to try a little harder in keeping it sustained. But no luck. However, for some reason, I had a goal to grow something edible and keep it alive for at least 6 months. I had secret hopes of having my own garden one day…

Started as one…

My boyfriend is an awesome cook. And I happen to be a pretty good recipe collector. I like fresh, healthy ingredients and found we were buying basil plants from the store frequently. So one day, I just decided plant some seeds: basil, thyme, and chives. Just one lonely pot sitting on my balcony… but hey, it was a start to that garden of mine, right?

…and then the garden grew!

Well, of course my lonely little seeds needed some friends and soon sage, lavender, rosemary, spearmint, and some creeping thyme decided to join in. And then while getting impatient, I bought another basil plant. Being that I make green smoothies almost daily, I also tried my hand in some spinach and romaine lettuce. Soon, as the basil and thyme started to show their heads out of the soil, their small group of friends grew to quite the social circle: oregano, calendula, longevity greens, mâche, bergamot, chamomile, mojito mint, Tiny Tim tomatoes, honey-rose sage, echinacea, goji berries, aloe vera, jalapeños, strawberries, parsley, French tarragon, dill, and a lemon-scented geranium. I even decided to try to grow a Moringa tree. Sh*t got real. And I guess my garden dream came true.

Beautiful little balcony garden

So where am I growing this garden you ask? My balcony, of course! Karran made me this kick ass planter he hung and the rest of the plants sit below it. I am lucky enough to have a lot of sunlight hit the balcony during the day (herbs love their sun!!). The herbs and veggies are rockin’ it, too. They love their home and are the center of my peace when I come home from work.

While space is tight, gardening is definitely possible if you want to make it happen. Having a little life outside our window has also made this place feel more like home. I find myself more creative with recipes and my smoothies have a little sumthin’ when I add in fresh basil or mint.

Stay tuned for some tips and an insight into all my plant babies!

Happy Gardening!!

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