Herbs have accompanied humanity since time immemorial - and are particularly in vogue again today. In order to provide yourself with the diverse aromatic wonders, you don't need a large monastery garden - a balcony can also be ideal!
How can you create a herb bed on the balcony?
A herb bed on the balcony can be created using mini raised beds, wooden box groups or creative pot arrangements. Choose the right herb plants according to the light and space conditions on your balcony and enjoy the fresh harvest.
“Just” a balcony? Because of “just”
The balcony is generally considered a minimalist replacement garden - and therefore has a somewhat thankless compromise character. It certainly doesn't offer as many options as a large garden, both in terms of relaxation and in terms of garden design. However, it also has some advantages, also from a gardening point of view, that you might not quickly realize:
- The balcony is a manageable size - which means less potential for chaos!
- With side walls it can provide a protected microclimate
- A lot of stone as frame material serves as heat storage
- It is directly and quickly accessible from the house - no long journeys to the harvested crop!
So if you only have a balcony or terrace available as an outdoor living space, you don't have to forgo growing kitchen-enriching delicacies - herbs in particular are ideal for cultivation on the balcony and terrace - for the reasons mentioned ! Because many of them don't need a lot of space and a lot of heat - and you'll definitely be more willing to harvest them for cooking every day if you're just a stone's throw away from them
Grow herbs on the balcony and terrace
Creating a bed on a balcony is of course not really possible - above all, there is usually a lack of space and of course soil. If you still want to create a bed with different herbs together, the following clever alternatives are available:
- Mini raised bed
- Bed group made of wooden boxes
Mini raised bed
If you build a mini raised bed yourself, you can optimally adapt its size and shape to your balcony architecture. In addition, you have all your favorite herbs in one place that can be reached for care and harvesting without having to bend over. You can also provide them with a deep substrate. In this respect, a balcony raised bed is particularly suitable for types of herbs that require nutrients, such as chives and wild garlic, lovage, basil or mint.
bed group
Another idea is to put together a “bed group” from several wooden boxes. You can group these all close together to form a visually large bed or arrange them individually. The advantage of this is that you can cultivate herbs with different location and substrate requirements separately. For example, you can plant a mini box bed with local herbs such as parsley, chervil or chamomile and one with Mediterranean herbs such as thyme, rosemary or oregano.
Location
When it comes to location, the possible variations on the balcony and terrace are of course limited - above all, they depend on the orientation of your mini garden. Of course, a southern orientation is best. Because most herbs need a lot of sun to thrive.
The relatively small microspace, which is usually surrounded by stone material, also has a positive effect on a south-facing balcony or terrace - especially for Mediterranean herbs, this offers ideal conditions with a lot of warmth and protection from the weather.
If your balcony faces north, growing southern herbs is of course rather difficult. However, you can also grow varieties that require less sun and have wonderful aromas and a variety of possible uses: These include typical forest herbs such as wild garlic, woodruff or mint.
Sophisticated and decorative alternatives to the bed
You can of course work differently instead of a functional herb bed - and still get a lot of decorative value out of your herb culture. In general, the alternative is planting in pots - but there are a variety of options:
- Balcony boxes
- Individual flower pots
- Combination pots
Balcony boxes
They are the somewhat more mundane and uncomplicated version. They are easy to attach to the balcony railing, lie at a stoop-free height and therefore function as small raised beds, only with less substrate volume. The disadvantage is that you are essentially fixed in one location - so the selection of herbs has to be largely adapted to the conditions prevailing there. In addition, balcony boxes of course only have a moderate aesthetic value.
Individual flower pots
You can, however, get something more decorative out of growing herbs in several flower pots - especially if you use classic terracotta pots, perhaps in different sizes and designs. A varied placement with pots on the balcony wall, others on the floor and others on the balcony table can loosen up the small herb oasis even more. From a practical, harvest-oriented point of view, with such arrangements you of course have full freedom in choosing the location.
Combination pots
Combi pots are also very pretty and compact at the same time. With your large main pot and attached side troughs, you can cultivate different herbs in one place and still offer them different substrates - the large main pot, with its pot volume, is ideal for varieties that require humus, and the typical Mediterranean herbs can nestle nicely in the side troughs.
