The Edible Balcony

You don't need a sprawling backyard or spacious raised beds to grow delicious fruits, vegetables, and herbs of your own. In The Edible Balcony, longtime urban gardener Alex Mitchell shows how to transform whatever space you have, from a balcony or rooftop to a fire escape or window box, into a profusion of fresh, seasonal produce. While raising your own produce is eco-friendly in itself, you'll learn how to plant, grow, and water as sustainably as possible to ensure your edible Eden remains green and productive all year long. Plus, with a collection of innovative, step-by-step projects for designing colorful pots and plant supports with recycled containers and other household paraphernalia, you'll double your eco-friendliness, avoid hours of shopping, and be able to infuse your space with your own personal flair and style. Who knew saving time, money, and the environment could be so much fun? A collection of practical advice, fabulous container projects, and stunning examples of how gardeners around the world are successfully transforming urban spaces into abundant fruit and vegetable plots, The Edible Balcony is your guide to creating attractive, responsible, and thoroughly rewarding small space gardens—and perhaps never having to settle for grocery store produce again.

Longtime urban gardener Mitchell shows readers how to transform whatever space they have, from a balcony or rooftop to a fire escape or window box, into a profusion of fresh, seasonal produce.

Small? Yes. A concrete slab populated with plastic chairs and an abandoned grill? Not anymore. Small-Space Container Gardens layers practical gardening fundamentals with creative solutions, encouraging us to think “outside the pot.” You'll learn how to tackle unique challenges, like windy conditions several stories above street level, and how to care for plants and troubleshoot problems like garden pests and diseases. From design basics to essential plant picks, Small-Space Container Gardens proves you don't need a yard to have a happy, healthy garden. For anyone who wants more green in their life, it's time to start gardening creatively in small spaces.

In this timely new book, BBC star and Gardening World's thrifty and resourceful Alys Fowler shows that there is a way to take the good life and re-fashion it to fit in with life in the city. Abandoning the limitations of traditional gardening methods, she has created a beautifully productive garden where tomatoes sit happily next to roses, carrots are woven between the lavenders and potatoes grow in pots on the patio. And all of this is produced in a way that mimics natural systems, producing delicious homegrown food for her table. And she shares her favorite recipes for the hearty dishes, pickles and jams she makes to use up her bountiful harvest, proving that no-one need go hungry on her grow-your-own regime. Good for the pocket, good for the environment and hugely rewarding for the soul, The Edible Garden urges urbanites everywhere to chuck out the old gardening rules and create their own haven that's as good to look at as it is to eat.

“Kranz’s facility at simplifying the process of raising fava beans or beets or lemon verbena—yes, anywhere—will have you scouring seed catalogs.” —Newsweek Edible Gardens LA founder Lauri Kranz shares her secrets for planning, planting, growing, and maintaining luscious edible gardens, no matter the setting or size of the plot. Through gorgeous gardens created for her well-known clientele, including James Beard Award–winning chefs, celebrities, rock stars, and more, Lauri shares her essential methods for growing abundant organic food. This practical guide is built around Lauri’s philosophy that nourishment and beauty are not separate goals. It’s also at the forefront of a gardening revolution, where more and more people are craving a patch of land for growing and the trend is toward edible gardens over ornamental gardens. A Garden Can Be Anywhere reveals Lauri’s knack for providing both beauty and bounty in her clients’ outdoor spaces. “Every time I see Lauri, I come away feeling nourished. Her superpower is her warmth, and her ease that makes any conversation about your garden feel empowering. She is a grounding force that strips away any gardening intimidation and makes you feel strong, capable, joyful. There’s no ego in her approach; she’s really rooting for you. Being around Lauri is such a gift.” —Maya Rudolph, actor, comedian, singer “The book takes readers through the process—step-by-step—of designing and growing a beautiful home garden.” —Gardenista “Lauri Kranz not only set up my edible garden, but also created and established a relationship between me and my backyard. She is the Tinder for me and my vegetables.” —Nicole Richie, fashion designer, author, actor

In Field Guide to Urban Gardening, author Kevin Espiritu of Epic Gardening shares the basics of growing plants, offers tips on how to choose the right urban gardening method, and troubleshoots the most common problems you’ll encounter. If you think it’s impossible to grow your own food because you don’t have a large yard or you live in the city…think again. There is a plethora of urban gardening options to create beautiful, productive edible gardens no matter where you live. The key to succeeding as an urban gardener is to choose the method(s) that make sense for your unique living situation and then give your plants what they need to thrive. Kevin helps you do just that. But he doesn’t stop there. He also provides in-depth garden plans, from upcycled DIY projects and intensive hydroponic systems to beautiful and functional raised beds. Urban gardening is a real, growing, and important movement in today’s world. This fact-packed book is your roadmap to get growing today. Urban gardening techniques featured include: Container Gardening Raised Beds Indoor Edibles Balconies and Rooftops Hydroponics

“With lush photographs and spare prose” a Brooklyn blogger shares recipes and “records her life as a gardener, a cook and an urban forager.” (The New York Times) Marie Viljoen's beautiful first book draws the reader into a world of unfolding seasons, seen from the perspective of an expert gardener, cook and photographer. Each chapter is a month, divided into three parts: New York City, the author's garden, and her kitchen, each setting the stage for a lavish seasonal menu with recipes drawn from farmers markets, wild-foraged ingredients, and produce grown on her city terrace and roof farm. Named for the size of her tiny Brooklyn terrace, and the blog it inspired, Viljoen's book is a unique perspective of the concrete jungle, where the month is known by the flowers in bloom, the vegetable in season, and the migrating birds crossing a Brooklyn sky. Set against a backdrop of growing up in South Africa and moving to the United States, meeting her French husband, and finding a culinary and emotional home in Brooklyn, Viljoen's book is a love letter to living seasonally in the most famous city on the planet. “If you don't think of this city as a living ecosystem, Marie Viljoen will change your perspective forever.” —Edible Brooklyn “Offer[s] visions of growing, cooking and sharing fresh food as central to living a good life.” —Seattle Times

Do you live in an apartment with a balcony, fire escape or rooftop terrace? Most city dwellers neglect these spaces or use them for nothing more than hanging laundry and storing bicycles. And for a long time, so did I. Several years ago I decided to transform my under-used balcony from a lifeless concrete pad into a little garden in the sky. Every year I grow a small harvest of vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas, and more than enough herbs to satisfy our culinary needs. Sometimes I even grow watermelons. You don't need to live in the country or have a big yard to own a productive garden. This book will guide you through the challenges of container gardening in one of the most sterile of urban environments: a high-rise balcony. With topics including: Container gardening basics Small space composting and vermicomposting Starting plants indoors from seed Self-watering containers Hand-pollination Diagnosing common plant problems And detailed growing instructions for all of my favorite garden herbs and vegetables