City Gardener

The Mission: This is the third year I've chosen a native rush to fill the planter boxes that line my west-facing 13th floor balcony.  Grass seems to be a good plant for the balcony (or a rush in this case, it is not technically a grass) because it visually softens the concrete and metal edges of the balcony. Few other traditional annual plant species tolerate deep shade for most of the morning, followed by intense afternoon sun, and constant wind. Plants that have medium to large leaves (e.g. tomatoes) get shredded by the wind. Grasses and rush grasses will tolerate wind, heat, and some degree of drought. The Plant: Juncus inflexus , commonly known as blue arrow rush. It grows to a height of about 24 inches in the 5-gallon planter bags (but would likely grow higher, to 36 inches, if planted in the ground). Native to northern Europe and Asia, Juncus is also considered native to eastern North America. Although its seed heads are small and indistinct, the blades have a muted blu...

Surprised by the unexpected arrival of springtime this year, I suddenly recognized the opportunity to revive the balcony garden of our apartment. For the past two years the balcony has laid fallow, because I was out of town for weeks at a time. This summer, I'm here for the duration of the growing season and the balcony garden is back with a vengeance. The advantage of grasses I've  previously described my choice of plants for the balcony. But to summarize, the space is often challenged by intense afternoon sun and heat - sometimes up to 125F - reflecting off of the glass windows; the wind up here on the 13th floor can tear apart any plant stem that isn't firmly staked; and the entire balcony is steeped in deep shade until 1:00 in the afternoon when the direct sunlight slips past the edge of the balcony ceiling. Grasses offer the advantage of being tolerant to drought, adapted to wind, and easy to manage. I like how they soften the hard edges of the cityscape. Because this...

The situation with balconies facing west, in zone 5 We live in an apartment on the 13th floor in downtown Minneapolis, overlooking the Mississippi river. It is a dynamic place to live, but it does not have the backyard garden that I enjoyed for 25 years before moving to an apartment. However, there are ways to incorporate gardening into high-rise life. Although we don’t have a backyard anymore, we do have an outdoor balcony which is 25 feet in length and inset into the building by 8 feet. Over the past three years of growing plants on our balcony I’ve learned a few things. Mainly, the plants on our balcony suffer from west facing afternoon sun, and baking temperatures in the summer, often up to 125 degrees F. On the other extreme, we live in zone 5 where the roots of any plant left on the balcony over the winter will freeze solid in their pots (temps often -20F). Even in large pots, no plant will survive if their roots freeze. Therefore all plants on the balcony I consider to be annual...