👩🏻‍🌾Vegetable Garden in My SMALL BALCONY | First Harvest, Tour & Fails | CONTAINER GARDEN S1 PART 3

[@katrish786]

Your garden looks amazing. It's proof that you can grow food in small spaces.

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much!! I have higher hopes for this season! ☺️❤️👩🏻‍🌾

[@Maizelawoodinuk]

very relaxing video❤❤❤

[@kristiyarn4939]

The only failure isn’t trying, right? Beautiful garden and impressive harvest! Thanks for taking us all along. 😊

[@slowlifestories]

So true! Thank you!! 🙏🏻🥰❤️

[@hobbygardeninthewoods]

Doesn't look like a fail to me. Your balcony is like an edible sanctuary!

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

Just goes to show you can have a garden in the smallest space. I would recommend a big 9 or 10 foot market umbrella to set up on your balcony when you're having a lot of rain to protect your plants and after a heavy down pour feed your plants liquid fertilizer to replenish the nutrients that got washed out of your soil from the rain. Happy gardening 😊

[@samah4207]

Beautiful video and very useful tips thanks

[@slowlifestories]

Thanks so much! Glad you found it helpful ❤️🥰

[@lola-j3]

This video is so so beautiful! You're sharing the piece of art with us and I so appreciate it. I really want to have a garden in the future, yet I know it requires a lot of researching and patience. Anyway, your video is just adorable, please, keep doing what you do =)

[@kokogaijin]

I am a small porch gardener myself, I use neem oil and water (not the store bought pesticide). It works great for me, I also use neem toothpaste...its on the list of approved pesticides for organic farming. I also use cinnamon, cayenne, and peppermint for pest control. I put crushed eggshells around the base of my plants to reduce chances of any crawling pests..hope this helps❤

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much for the tips!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻☺️ I’ve heard about the crushed eggshells but thought it was used as a fertilizer instead, so I would work it in the soil.. but I will try it your way! Regarding neem oil, I’ve always used it for my houseplants and I had plans to use it in my garden but I purchased some seedlings at a local organic farm, and the lady showed me the dish soap method and said that’s all she uses because neem oil was not safe to use on plants we will be eating… I was very confused because I’ve seen many other organic gardeners who use neem oil as a pesticide 🤷🏻‍♀️ Anyways, I’ve done more research since, and came to the conclusion that it should be save as long as we allow sufficient time between the last application and harvesting to minimize any residue, and of course wash everything well… 😊

[@kokogaijin]

@@slowlifestories I agree with your research findings...as to eggshells..if I'm fertilizing I blend very fine and mix in the soil...for pest control, I hand crush and place around the base of the plant.👍

[@reneeunderwood7718]

Thank you for sharing your hard work, it was lovely to watch everything growing and see all your tips you use for us small balcony garden growers to try as well ❤ such a beautiful balcony!!!

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much! ❤️❤️ I just started seeds for this year’s garden and I’m making some changes to hopefully have a better harvest than last season 🤞🏼🥰

[@reneeunderwood7718]

@@slowlifestories yes I’m following along with your videos. I just started seeds as well, this is my first year at a balcony garden fingers crossed for me too!!!

[@lindamcconnell1653]

Bonjour Claudia, I was so excited to see your patio garden video update. Forget about the fails, because we all have them as gardeners, but your successes are amazing. Each growing season brings us an opportunity to learn and grow. I still do after many years of gardening, and believe me, I've had epic fails. For instance, this year, the tomato plants looked really amazing and now if there are 3 or 4 tomatoes per plant, I'm lucky. August in Quebec means to start preserving, harvesting, cleaning out, etc... I'm now harvesting oregano, basil, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, etc.. dehydrate them to make them into seasonings, composed butters, flavoured salts, etc... It's a busy time of the year, no doubt...

[@slowlifestories]

Bonjour!! Thank you for your comment! You’re right, these are all learning experiences ☺️ Do you do a fall garden with cool-weather vegetables or does it get too cold too soon in Quebec?… I also want to do some preserving this year with produce from local farms.. dehydrating herbs to make them into seasonings is something I had planned, but I didn’t even think of composed butters and flavored salts.. Thank you for the idea because now I might have to do it 😁😁

[@lindamcconnell1653]

Most of home gardeners here do not do a fall garden; we just put protective membranes on crops that last a bit longer: kale, swiss chard, brocoli, etc.. With first snow usually around end of october, the frost will usually put an end to the plants:(. My favourite salt is oregano salt: so good on roasted chicken or roasted vegetables. Makes the house smell heavenly especially when it's cold outside. @@slowlifestories

[@christineconnell4114]

Fab vlog Claudia. My word haven't you done so well! Can't wait to see what delicious food you make. 🤔

[@slowlifestories]

Aww thanks so much!! 🙏🏻❤️❤️

[@rabbitgear]

I completely empathize with that feeling of disappointment of the harm caused by the unruly weather. Last summer we had a cooler than usual May, followed by a drier than usual June, followed by the wettest July on record, and then a cooler than average August. So many of our plants got root rot and the nutrients were leached from the soil in the raised beds.

[@slowlifestories]

I'm sorry to hear about the challenges you faced with the unpredictable weather last summer. It can be really disheartening to see your plants suffer despite your best efforts. Mother Nature sure keeps us on our toes! Hopefully, this year brings more favorable conditions for our gardens! 🙏🏻🌱❤️

[@merleafies]

Goooodnesss! I didn't know I was on my baking channel 😅 Look at all that cake 👀🍑

[@helenmcguinness6322]

I love your videos Claudia - and whatever you feel about your balcony gardening experiences this year you have truly created a haven to sit amongst with JC and your doggies 😊😊 🐕 🐶

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much! ❤️❤️

[@crystalr.castillo2784]

Such a beautiful garden! 🌱❤

[@slowlifestories]

Thanks so much! 🙏🏻❤️

[@asgar_xcx]

Failure is the stepping stone to success 🎉 hope to see you grow more and harvest in future ❤️‍🩹 keep up the good work ✨

[@slowlifestories]

So true! Thank you so much 🙏🏻❤️

[@tothemoon222]

this was really good, thank you so much for this video🪴

[@judygriffin2029]

Great job in the video and garden..!

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much! 🙏🏻❤️❤️

[@rachaelfratczak1846]

Oh my word, your balcony garden is amazing, well done you!

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you!! ❤️❤️

[@barbaritagonzalez3332]

We were waiting for this third part of your beautiful balcony. Despite the pests, the fruit was spectacular. Thanks once again

[@slowlifestories]

Thanks so much ❤️❤️

[@TJ-kz1ul]

Your garden looks like a success to me! I have been gardening for 24 years and each year has had its set of challenges and surprises. This year it was a massive hailstorm, several weeks ago, that pretty much shredded everything except for my succulent plants, salvia and sunflowers. Everything else was flattened, and my tomatoes look terrible because of it. It's ok, you just learn to go with it. I always enjoy your videos! I have a little pug, he says hello to Bella and Maya =)

[@slowlifestories]

Aww I’m sorry that that happened to your garden! You’re right, each year is a new change to learn.. I just have to shift the mindset from failure to learning experience ☺️ Maya and Bella say hello to your fur baby 🐾🐾

[@JustWatchMeDoThis]

Beautiful garden! I have an apartment balcony about the same size that I am starting a container garden on this year. It is full sun. I have a mostly shade smaller one on the front but focusing on the back this year. I also love watching your babies. I had twin sister min pins until last year. They were 15 and 16 when they passed away 😢 separately. Bella and Chloe. It was a horrible year for us all. I took in a corgi/chi mix as a tiny baby in 22 and she is 2 yrs now and misses her sisters. Her name is Ginger ( Gingerbread or Gingersnap sometimes, 😅) Anyway, I work from home and so hopefully I can have something nice to look at while doing my job and be able to keep a good eye on it too. I only dread all the watering and of course the summer heat. I don't do well in the heat, but determined to make this work for the first time in my life since I hate dealing with the details. I have learned though that details matter so I am researching all of my priority plants which are tomatoes, hot peppers, cucumbers, lettuces, radicchio, herbs and strawberries. I have a lot of other stuff, but I can't be perfect out of the gate so I am prioritizing those and also doing a lot of companion planting with my herbs and flowers into those priority plants.

[@TheMennomilist]

It is a rainy day as i watch this now. I got some things done that I have needed to do though. I agree that the rain is so good for growth of those plants and the sun is so helpful on top of it. They work hand in hand and it is a good team effort! Your plants have grown a lot over the summer.

[@slowlifestories]

Most of them have 😆 thank you for watching! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week ❤️

[@belindamoore3518]

Beautiful garden! I know absolutely NOTHING about gardening, but I love watching your videos and am a subscriber! Your dogs are soooooo cute! Bella cracks me up, and Maya is soooooo patient! You did an AMAZING job with your garden and I look forward to the next glorious harvest; this one was fantastic in my opinion! Keep up the good work!

[@slowlifestories]

Aww thank you so much for your kind words and taking the time to comment!!! I really appreciate you being here 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️ yess, Bella and Maya are my joy 🥰🥰

[@krisb4582]

You may want to fertilize again after heavy rains. In containers, all the nutrients get washed out. Maybe look into composting in place. Luv your videos so far. I’m about 3 yrs into patio container gardening and just try everything.

[@slowlifestories]

Thanks for the tips! You’re right, it makes sense that I needed to fertilize more because of all the rain this year… I’m happy to hear that you try everything! Next year, I want to try a medicinal herbs and tea garden! we’ll see how it goes… ☺️☺️

[@hannahkay1913]

So relaxing to watch x

[@slowlifestories]

Glad you enjoyed it ❤️

[@poojap.5416]

Hi Claudia! Would you be able to share what variety of the tomatoes and peppers you used? I have a container garden too and I would love to try growing what you’ve grown here :)

[@slowlifestories]

Hey!! I don’t remember the exact varieties I grew last year, but these are the ones I’m growing this year (some of these I also grew last year): - Rio Grande - Tiny Tim - Cherokee Purple - Pole Cherry Gardener’s Delight - Tomato Bush Ace 55 ❤️🍅

[@poojap.5416]

@@slowlifestories thank you so much!! Can’t wait to try!

[@cassandrahenderson7336]

This is such a beautifully put together video. Very inspiring 🌸

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it 🥰❤️🙏🏻

[@user-nm8xu2dw7j]

You are an inspiration, you give me alot of ideas.

[@slowlifestories]

Aww, thank you for sharing that 🥰❤️

[@privateaccount2921]

This is my dream. I live in Tampa but there is a huge tree that’s blocking full sun for the entire day. Idk what kind of vegetables and flowers will work best to plant.

[@user-xd3on4ze9e]

Awesome!!

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you!! ❤️❤️

[@MssWinnie]

Here from part 4 honestly your garden is beautiful don’t beat yourself up. I saw you want to only grow medicinal herbs the thing with those is they take even longer and you can spend upto an entire year without harvesting anything. One of the best things l of gardening is being able to harvest all year round and I think your garden served that purpose especially with the greens and herbs so don’t give up okay. I’m subscribing hoping to see more of you, your garden and your beautiful puppies 🥰🥰

[@carolecarlson2569]

What a beautiful garden! thank you for sharing! I have a very large balcony and it doesn't look nearly as pretty as yours, so thank you for the inspiration!

[@slowlifestories]

Aww thanks so much! 🙏🏻❤️❤️

[@libbycampbell2487]

This is awesome! Congrats on your beautiful garden 😊 do you have an awning over your full patio? I want to start my own patio garden but am worried about everything getting enough sunlight

[@slowlifestories]

Thanks so much! 🙏🏻🥰 my balcony has wood beams, no awning.. it’s pretty open above but since it’s like a small box and the sides are pretty tall, I also struggle with getting enough light… it’s east-facing and I have to be super strategic about the placement of my plants because only half of the balcony gets direct sunlight… and still, they only get full sun from sunrise until about 12:30ish PM… there are plants who tolerate shade better than others so maybe that can be an option for your space..? ❤️❤️❤️

[@misterPerez11]

Loved this video I grow on a ledge so I know about maximizing your space I think you’re doing awesome! I would mention that some varieties of vegetables aren’t suitable for container because they have long tap roots like the brassicas. I have really good yields with plants that have small root systems or shallow roots. Have you tried dwarf tomato project tomatoes before? They are compact plants but FULL size fruits I have grown them indoors with tons of success! Lettuces always do great for me radishes too because they grow so quickly. I have learned from gardening in such a tight space that giving things SPACE makes a HUGE difference in terms of yield and health of my plants. Have you also tried grow bags they’re like fabric pots you can get deeper pots that don’t take up a large foot print you could open up access to growing things like carrots and potatoes if the grow bag is deep enough. These are all things I’ve learned while gardening in a MUCH smaller space than your balcony haha

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you for your kind words! I haven't tried the dwarf tomato project, but it sounds like something I need to look into now!! Thank you for the suggestion! Lettuces did good this year, but radishes were a fail and I don’t understand why because I’ve grown them before with success 🤷🏻‍♀️ I just posted a new video on my garden and you can see how I planted carrots to close and didn’t thin them out enough so your tips about giving them space is so true!! regarding grow bags, I’ve seen them before and have considered getting some.. I probably will for the next season.. although I want to focus on a herbal garden this year… medicinal, culinary herbs.. herbs to make tea.. and want to try ginger and turmeric 🫚 I appreciate all the tips from your experience in a smaller space-every bit of advice helps! 🙏🏻🫶🏻❤️❤️

[@anaslowlife]

Me encanta como tienes el balcón y que buenos tomates 🤤🤤 ¡Que bonito lo tienes!

[@slowlifestories]

Muchas gracias!! 🙏🏻🥰❤️

[@LisaMarieKaspar]

what an abundance in that beautiful small space! 😍 this summer has been super rainy here on my balcony garden, as well, I'm trying to not let it demotivate me...nothing grew in the way that I imagined, my tomato plants that I started from seed in march/april are still small and I think there will be no tomatoes this year...but I was lucky with dahlias I grew from tubers and my small low bed is looking promising with the carrots, kale and celery growing in there - the plants are still small (i sowed them last month), so I keep my fingers crossed for an autumn harvest :)

[@slowlifestories]

Aww yes, we can’t let it unmotivate us.. these are all learning experiences at the end of the day! I’m sure you will have a successful autumn harvest! I’m still considering whether I should plant my autumn crops or just let it be… Thank you for watching ❤️

[@xinnoondaily]

I Love this! We did something similar where we live out. This video actually gave us inspiration and hope that we can still become successful, thanks so much for this video.

[@slowlifestories]

Aww! Glad that you got some inspiration from this video ❤️ I also hope that you have success!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🥰

[@danieladeutsch1708]

My darling Claudia, there are no failures, there are things that didn´t went the way we wanted it to and learn from them. Brava! Your balcony and plants and veggies look gorgeous! Great harvest! I have this year some mysterious new pest on my balcony. I went to all the professional gardeners in my town, tried all the pesticides sprays - nothing helped. Only some plants are immune. But that´s ok. I have to throw out all the soil in autumn and disinfect the pots. And then I start over again. Thank G-d I have my herbs and some veggies in my kitchen too :) Thank you for your beautiful video. Kisses to Maya and Bella XX P.S.1 Please, let us know what the new organic standard is, I am confused too. P.S. 2 Nasturtium must be seeded really early. I Don´t know about your zone, I seed it around april-may (Slovakia, Europe).

[@slowlifestories]

Hi!! Thank you so much!! 🙏🏻❤️ Have you tried beneficial nematodes? I just learned about them, they are microscopic roundworms that eat the larvae and pests in the soil… I have never used them though… Yes, I’m not very hopeful about nasturtiums at this point… 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@danieladeutsch1708]

@@slowlifestories Thank you so much, sweet Claudia I will look for the nematodes...honestly... I have never heard of them :) You are excellent! Good night and sweet dreams (about flowers, dogs and a lots of harvest) XX

[@Ssupperrccoll]

your videos are incredibly inspiring and cozy, I’m shocked that the channel doesn’t have a million subscribers

[@slowlifestories]

Aww you’re so sweet!! 🥹🥹🥹 Thank you so much!! ❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@brihan765]

Hi! This is my first video of yours I've seen, and I'm glad you went ahead and made it! I'm a newbie gardener too, and I know how disheartening it can be to lose plants.. but I agree with everyone who says that your balcony looks lovely, and you should be proud of the plants you managed to grow! Flowers for me were a hit and miss, though I did manage to grow some nasturtiums and calendulas. Did you end up planting for Autumn? I'm still trying to work that out for myself... learning your environment and what you need is a work in progress! Oh yes, and Maya and Bella are very beautiful!

[@slowlifestories]

Hi!! Thank you for being here! You are right, learning how to garden in your environment is a work in progress… I’m editing part 4 of this balcony garden series but I did not plant for Autumn.. this year was a struggle in the garden so I decided to skip it… I think I’ve learned what my limitations are and next spring I will focus on growing an herb and tea garden! And of course some flowers.. I’m excited about that!! Do you have a balcony as well, or more space? Maya and Bella say thank you!! ☺️☺️🐾🐾

[@brihan765]

I understand that, re: missing Autumn. I did leave some brassicas to grow and garlics and onions, but I have no idea how they will turn out... they look so sad, lol. But I tell myself it's a learning experience, to know how the weather works. I'm fortunate to have access to a garden, but I've also been trying to grow in containers in a concrete area, so I watch balcony videos to see how people deal with the minimal space, making the most of it. It's honestly very inspiring, and I try to grow herbs that way since the garden is very far from the house! Basil is so fun to grow, I hope you manage to get a good selection! Do you know what you might grow for teas? I live off tea, but there's something about making my own that makes me hesitant! @@slowlifestories

[@plantsmali]

Which camera are you using to film these videos ❤

[@slowlifestories]

A Sony a6600 ❤️

[@goddessdejour]

One of Michael Pollan’s books gives a good explanation of the true meaning of organic, natural, etc., but I can’t remember which one it is. Maybe check it out 🙋🏽‍♀️

[@slowlifestories]

Thank you for the recommendation , I will have to.. ☺️

[@cherylsoergel9561]

I got 3 banana pepper plants for mother's day and they didn't take off. Bought two more and some unknown insect is eating the leaves. Nothing on the leaves even turning them over. My daughter thinks Japanese beetles but you would think I would see one?

[@slowlifestories]

Right!! Those are pretty big compared to other common pests like aphids, thrips or mites, so I also assume that you would see them.. and they do a lot of damage of the leaves! 😥

[@jenmv3483]

Salad a month ago? What zone are you in...

[@slowlifestories]

7a.. this video is from last year