It isn't terribly small, Cyndigo.

The view will change as those trees leaf-out. Tell us about your sun -- how many hours of sunlight does your balcony get? Does your building shade the balcony?

You may want to think about plant stands so that you can get some height with plants in pots that don't necessarily grow tall, themselves. Stair steps up and up and up . . . It will save on floor space.

I have some idea of how you feel but I'm waay too many miles north of Boulder to share my Thai eggplants, Thai peppers, and my Asian greens with you. Some of those eggplants and peppers may be in your garden center soon. You may have the seed for the greens there or in your Asian market. What do you think about some veggies from home? Nice pot of lemon grass?

If it is sunny and warm - there are Malabar spinach, bitter melon and luffa gourds. Vines . . ? Start the seed right away and keep indoors for a few weeks. Caring for these things with their need for sunshine should brighten your day!

digitSteve

Thank you, Steve! I hadn't thought of growing lemongrass but that will be lovely. I have some bird chilis and basils that will go either on the shelves or on my front steps. The balcony gets full sun from about eleven a.m. on ever morning.

I want some morning glory for stir-fry but not sure if the American version is poisonous or what type would taste best.

To save on space, how about using some cut bamboo stalks? You could use them decoratively and also as supports for the plants you put in.

I agree with Steve about the stepped/tiered plant stands, those things put limited space to good use. I put a link to one that I like but am too cheap to buy. It is still far less expensive than the one I wanted years ago from Smith and Hawken.

It looks like a great space! What kind of fabric are you going to recover the cushions in?

Maybe a grass rug or bamboo rug would be nice too.

I honestly don't know what kind of plants grow in Thailand! I'd imagine lilies might look nice or a tall potted palm that could live just inside the balcony doors in winter.

Sounds like fun, good luck!

J

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant stand

Just refreshed this and found Digit and Jennifer have answered while I was slooowly typing my response, so some of these things have already been addressed, but here's my reply they way I---slooowly---wrote it!

Hi Cyndi,

Some questions! Which direction does it face? How many hours of direct sun do you get, and will you get as the days get longer?

So youre planning to put the pots on the shelf? Or on the floor in front of the shelf? If youÂre putting things on the shelf, you wouldnÂt need anything too tall to give you a little bit of privacyÂbutÂwe get a LOT of wind out here (how long have you been in Boulder?), and many, if not most, of the things you put on the shelf will probably blow over if theyÂre not secured somehow. AlsoÂanother how long have you been here questionÂif youÂre growing things in pots, even pretty big pots, do you know that they may need watering almost every day in the middle of summer? Clay pots will dry more quickly than plastic or ones made out of some other impermeable material.

I donÂt know much about bamboo, but IÂd be surprised if that worked for you with the space you have, and even in the ground, it would take a while (couple years) to grow upÂand there arenÂt many varieties that are hardy to zone 5, and theyÂd probably be even less hardy in pots. Maybe somebody else around here will have more advice on the bamboo idea.

The first thing I thought of that you could possibly use on the shelf to help with the privacy thing is Purple Fountain Grass, Pennisetum setaceum ÂRubrumÂ. The plumes get a good 4 to 5' tall, and it grows pretty quickly when itÂs warm out. Should be available at any "real" garden center in springÂHarlequin would probably have it. Here are a couple pics of the one by my front door in Â08. Never got that pot planted last year! ItÂs an annual, so you need to get new ones each year, or try to overwinter one inside with lots of sun or a lightÂthatÂs what I do, and it doesnÂt look very good over winter, but IÂm putting it out during the day now, and itÂs perking up nicely. Will divide the one I saved into four pieces, and that will give me enough for what I want to do this year!
(Click to enlarge)

Besides that, there are lots of annuals you could grow in pots that would bloom most of the summerÂall different heights and colors. IÂm assuming you have a fair amount of direct sun!

Answer the questions I asked above, and IÂm sure we can help with more suggestions. I donÂt know about the "Bangkok" look, but there are lots of things you can grow. Could even stick in some basil or some other herbs to useÂbasil is easyÂand it comes in purple types that are great as ornamentals too.

Are you students? Gonna be at the same apartment/condo next year?

Oh! And one more thing! On March 23rd weÂre going to have our Spring Swap in Longmont this yearÂso not very far from you. YouÂll find it all explained at the swap link down below!

Welcome to RMG,
Skybird

The morning glory eaten in Asia is Ipomoea aquatica, which is not the same as the ornamental morning glory.

It is considered a noxious weed in parts of the US, especially in the warmer sub-tropical regions such as Florida. It may or may not be legal to grow it in Colorado, and it may or may not be possible to find a legal source for seeds or plants in the US.

Some of the ornamental morning glories are poisonous. If you grow any of them, it should be for ornamental purposes only, and not for food.

If you'd like to grow Asian vegetables, there are several seed companies that sell Asian species and varieties in the US. You can also find packets of seed in some of the specialty grocery stores.

I have no experience doing mail-order with any of the following places.

Kitazawa: http://www.kitazawaseed.com/index.html

Evergreen Seeds: http://www.evergreenseeds.com/

New Dimension Seed (it's listed as a spam site here on gardenweb, so I won't include its url. Access at your own risk!)

http://www.onedollarseedstore.com/vegie.htm claims to sell Water Spinach (Pak boong) seeds everywhere in North America, but you probably want to ask before you order.

Several seed companies, such as Pinetree and Territorial, have reasonable selections of Asian herbs and vegetables among their other offerings. If you're looking for something very specific, you could also try Seed Savers Exchange, or maybe try to work a trade with someone in Thailand.

What sort of ornamentals are you looking for?

Thank you for the seed listing, I have ordered some pak boong! I love the orchids but they are so expensive here and they don't like the dryness.

Here is a list of Thai plants:
http://www.thaigardendesign.com/landscaping/popular-plants/

I do not see them here at garden centers.

My boyfriend worries about the wind and always tells me to think of the water. Maybe I will use the big blue glazed pot and put in some lotus or lily, but still need room for little table.

There was a vine that grew everywhere, on the trees and climbing around things, just a small heart-shaped green leaf. It made everything look so lush but can't find a picture of it and don't know the name.

If anyone know good tropical nursery in Colorado, please let me know. Thank you for all the advice!

Oh and I forgot the bougainvillea, which I love, but have only seen here in a nursery was a big grafted plant, quite expensive.

I wanted to post a follow-up to thank everyone for their help and suggestions! It really looks lovely.

The flickr set is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyndigo/sets/72157624668815141/with/4962305182/

Most of the plants can be brought in for the winter, although moving the water garden container is going to be a challenge! I have a lovely upright juniper now that will go in the corner under the spirit house, for winter interest.

Thanks again,
Cyn

. . . even a Siamese cat!

Good Job, Cyndi!

d'S'

You did a wonderful job, Cyndi, and I especially love the last two pics taken from inside looking out to the balcony. It almost looks like you live in a tropical jungle!

Thanks for coming back to show us the "finished product!"

Hope all is going well with you,
Skybird