Urban Gardening – Fresh Herbs for Your Balcony

In the city, there's often no space for a herb spiral or a large herb bed in the garden. But city dwellers absolutely don't have to go without fresh herbs! The solution is: Urban Gardening!

Through Urban Gardening, your city balcony can be transformed into a fresh and aromatic herb oasis, because it doesn't require much space. With a few terracotta pots, an iron rod, and pre-grown herbs, you'll quickly have fresh herbs for your meals.

Before you start, figure out where your herb tower will stand. Some herbs, like rosemary and thyme, come from the Mediterranean and need lots of sun and warmth. A shady spot simply won't work for them. If your balcony is shadier, you can opt for herbs like chives, parsley, wild garlic, or mint, which thrive in partial to full shade. Ultimately, it comes down to your personal taste, but fresh herbs will definitely bring freshness and variety to your kitchen, and they'll feel just as at home on your balcony as they would in a garden.

To build a herb tower, you don't need much. What's important is a large, stable, and preferably heavy pot to provide the herb tower with stability. Clay or terracotta pots are particularly well-suited for a herb tower because they are sturdy. If you like, you can paint the pots your desired color, or simply leave them in their original color.

The pots must have a hole in the bottom so they can be threaded onto the metal rod. Here are the materials you'll need for your herb tower:

• A large pot for the base
• Several smaller pots
• A metal rod (ideally twisted)
• Various herbs and potting soil

To ensure your herb tower stands stable on your balcony, providing fresh herbs for your kitchen, start by filling the large base pot with soil and planting a herb around its edge. Next, insert the metal rod into the soil and press it down firmly—this is crucial for stability. Then, thread the first pot onto the rod and angle it onto the soil in the bottom pot. Fill this pot with soil and plant your herbs. Continue threading on new pots and angling them onto the previous one until your herb tower reaches the desired height and is fully planted. With the right location, your kitchen will never be boring again!