Little daffodils on our neglected window ledge |
Daffodils among the weeds on our window ledge; school in background |
We have a balcony where, this year, we will grow tomatoes, peppers, basil, rosemary and other herbs. (Herbs here are so expensive! You really feel ripped off when you pay 2CHF or more for a tiny spring of something!) Last year we tested it out, and while the conditions were harsh at times (wind, rain, sleet, hail... you name it!), most things grew well there. As the weather has improved here now, we need to do some gardening out there.
We also grew some flowers last Spring, and here are flowers from last year, and the basil, parsley and tomatoes:
Kitchen window ledge flowers |
The tomatoes and herbs section |
Sadly, our cilantro ("coriandre") did not fare well. We thought we'd be safe 7 floors up, but we learned from locals that there was an aphid of some sort, possibly from the soil, that attacked the plant. We managed to use some when the plant was in its infancy, but it quickly declined. The parsley suffered too - although I did make a batch of tabbouli. The basil was fine though, and I made a few batches of pesto.
However, we will learn from last year, and enjoy our balcony and its products!