I have a large (5 by 8 foot) balcony, which gets 10-12 hours of sun a day. I've experimented with growing (in pots) herbs, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons to exotic vegetables. But this year, I want to be more formal, and plan out a proper potager in pots. My pots run from deep (3 ft) to shallow (lettuce), and include hanging, floor & window boxes.

What traditional plants should I include in my potager, and any suggestions for combinations (tomatoes with basil)? Is it better to use a tripod pole arrangement for peas and beans, or tomato stands? And what would be the best (and lightest) soil to use?

Thanks!

About a year ago there was a post which tried to define what made a potager different than a standard vegetable garden on one hand, or a cottage garden on the other. There was a lot of heated debate, but I think people agreed on this:

Potagers are designed for beauty and order as much as for raising vegetables. They are usually enclosed (no problem for you and your balcony), and they usually employ symetry. (Mine is an exception; it's more like a cross with a cottage garden, because it has irregular-shaped beds.) The potager can have flowers, a fountain, and ornaments, but its emphasis is food production. It is first and formost a vegetable garden. Beyond that, there was much disagreement.

Maybe you could do a search on the bottom of this page for pictures. There were a lot of them posted at one time, and I know that I got a lot of ideas that way. (Unfortunately, I don't have any to share of my garden, because my DH and I are living a low-tech life right now.)

Anyway, good luck. This forum has been a little slow, but I think it will pick up in the spring.

I don't garden on a balcony, just in a small walled garden.