avatarLucianoSphere (Luciano Abriata, PhD)

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basil, thyme, or rosemary, which I use so much in my kitchen. Even for simple salads:</p><div id="f872" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/basil-strawberries-salads-and-tomatoes-growing-powerful-in-the-orchard-balcony-d6fad7ee6e73"> <div> <div> <h2>Basil, strawberries, salads and tomatoes growing powerful in the orchard balcony</h2> <div><h3>Plus… what’s that? Watermelons? Zucchinis?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*euvK-3C-RVieyMwL)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="f261">Just starting? Go with green salads!</h2><p id="908c">In particular, leaves grow very well and abundantly because they don’t need too much soil and are quite strong. For example, on my balcony I grow 2 kinds of lettuce plus corn salad, and I also have wild dandelions -all of which I just collected for tonight’s salad:</p><figure id="c826"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*HRdBxeCGargkdpRGNFemQw.png"><figcaption>Clockwise from the top: crispy lettuce, dandelions, red lettuce, corn salad.</figcaption></figure><p id="daf6">What’s even more stunning to me is that I set these plants to grow less than a month ago (just 10 days ago for the red lettuce!):</p><div id="14ea" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/salad-plants-in-and-out-in-my-balconys-edible-garden-d2b374366dfc"> <div> <div> <h2>Salad plants in and out in my balcony’s edible garden</h2> <div><h3>I just harvested corn salad and planted lettuce.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*lxIYve3PqX9TiJRG)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="1f7a">And I'm very fortunate that the leafcutter bees in my balcony don’t seem to like my salads ^_^</p><div id="a1e8" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/leafcutter-bees-visit-my-balcony-garden-c55041c5fb84"> <div> <div> <h2>Leafcutter bees visit my balcony garden</h2> <div><h3>These are solitary bees, not whole behives. So they are welcome.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*X2ZldPeL5ljgKNQlwwS52w.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="c7f1">What to follow with next?</h2><p id="afe1">Aromatics are also easy… in fact, many of them live like wild weeds on my balcony.</p><p id="971f">And I’m testing this year how tomatoes grow on the balcony. Some fruits are coming up, the watch of snapdragon and alyssum flowers:</p><figure id="bdc7"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*pe_I97Nd35sEc_eKDHP1bQ.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="37da"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*X2LZGjX0BgR_SMsepQ-IxQ.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><div id="620e" class="link-block"> <a href="http

Options

s://readmedium.com/hello-tomatoes-91b4e4276118"> <div> <div> <h2>Hello, tomatoes!</h2> <div><h3>Closeup shots in a story about the tomato fruits coming out in my balcony garden + Science facts about how tomatoes…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*hZ899sED-8Hvnup-qWQOyg.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="5204">Plus… unexpectedly, I got some cucurbit plants growing. I don’t yet know what exactly they are. Zucchinis? Squash? Something else?</p><p id="6a8c">Whatever, I’m joyful because they are starting to shoot what I think will be flowers!</p><figure id="513e"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*DzvX-jK0fM1nHXfoVosm-w.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="b96c"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*rKL82qEAjhXmHEiyZlFJGw.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><h2 id="8b91">In awe with this edible balcony garden project</h2><p id="10b1">And hoping to have more to share and to enjoy soon!</p><div id="a79b" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-joy-of-consuming-your-own-produce-db4a2ddf20a5"> <div> <div> <h2>The joy of consuming your own produce</h2> <div><h3>Fruits, salad and aromatics growing in my balcony.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*-Zd88IsS6Fphp6I2)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="7e24">Evolving from another awesome project: edibles from the forest.</p><div id="24c4" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/edibles-from-the-forest-refreshing-tea-with-elderberry-flowers-a24dcccf2c2d"> <div> <div> <h2>Edibles from the forest: refreshing tea with elderberry flowers</h2> <div><h3>Elderberry, a.k.a. Sambucus, or Sauco in Spanish and Sureau in French, is a tree native to most of Europe that blooms…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*64LOc9ifGzyT01J_ubikMw.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="61f2"><a href="https://www.lucianoabriata.com/"><b><i>www.lucianoabriata.com</i></b></a><i> I write and photoshoot about everything that lies in my broad sphere of interests: nature, science, technology, programming, etc. <a href="https://lucianosphere.medium.com/membership"><b>Become a Medium member</b></a> to access all its stories (affiliate links of the platform for which I get small revenues without cost to you) and <a href="https://lucianosphere.medium.com/subscribe"><b>subscribe to get my new stories</b></a><b> by email</b>. To <b>consult about small jobs</b> check my <a href="https://lucianoabriata.altervista.org/services/index.html"><b>services page here</b></a>. You can <a href="https://lucianoabriata.altervista.org/office/contact.html"><b>contact me here</b></a><b>.</b></i></p></article></body>

Left: Sweet snacks with a view: Strawberries out of focus in the back, and one of my favorite wildflowers in focus in the front. Right: Four types of salad collected from the balcony. These and all other photographs by author Luciano Abriata.

A free grocery store at my disposal in my balcony

Salad, small sweet fruits and aromatics hardly fail you in the edible garden, not even if you grow them on a balcony.

As a 2022 resolution, I set myself to grow edibles in my balcony garden. Not for the economy, because I don’t really think I will save, but for the fun, for the awe, for the feelings.

(In fact, when fruits ripen in my garden, they are also ripening all around, so they become cheap in the markets; for example, my strawberries are ripening right during these weeks, and I can get half a kg of them for the cost of a local bus ticket…)

However, I’m now finding that having an edible garden does have some advantages, even if overall the cost balance went against it (which anyway I think it doesn’t).

Why?

Well, because I have at my disposal whatever I want or need, right here, at hand, and very fresh.

For example, if I want a sweet snack, I just go to my strawberries and pick a few at their perfect stage of ripening. No uneaten fruits spoiling in the fridge.

Moreover, I delight myself not only with their flesh and taste but also with the contrast of their red against the green of their leaves and also with the (in this case, wild) flowers that grow around it:

Strawberries out of focus in the back, and one of my preferred wildflowers in focus in the front.

Same if I suddenly decide to have some pasta with sage. I don’t need to go to that far store to buy it -which will anyway be already close by the time I need it. I just go out to my balcony and take a few leaves as I contemplate the new snapdragon and lavender flowers:

Yellow sage in the back, surrounded by an all-new snapdragon growing wild, a flower from a young lavender, and a crasulacea.

Also, the same if I suddenly need some basil, thyme, or rosemary, which I use so much in my kitchen. Even for simple salads:

Just starting? Go with green salads!

In particular, leaves grow very well and abundantly because they don’t need too much soil and are quite strong. For example, on my balcony I grow 2 kinds of lettuce plus corn salad, and I also have wild dandelions -all of which I just collected for tonight’s salad:

Clockwise from the top: crispy lettuce, dandelions, red lettuce, corn salad.

What’s even more stunning to me is that I set these plants to grow less than a month ago (just 10 days ago for the red lettuce!):

And I'm very fortunate that the leafcutter bees in my balcony don’t seem to like my salads ^_^

What to follow with next?

Aromatics are also easy… in fact, many of them live like wild weeds on my balcony.

And I’m testing this year how tomatoes grow on the balcony. Some fruits are coming up, the watch of snapdragon and alyssum flowers:

Plus… unexpectedly, I got some cucurbit plants growing. I don’t yet know what exactly they are. Zucchinis? Squash? Something else?

Whatever, I’m joyful because they are starting to shoot what I think will be flowers!

In awe with this edible balcony garden project

And hoping to have more to share and to enjoy soon!

Evolving from another awesome project: edibles from the forest.

www.lucianoabriata.com I write and photoshoot about everything that lies in my broad sphere of interests: nature, science, technology, programming, etc. Become a Medium member to access all its stories (affiliate links of the platform for which I get small revenues without cost to you) and subscribe to get my new stories by email. To consult about small jobs check my services page here. You can contact me here.

Nature
Gardening
Sustainability
Food
Photography
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