The Balcony Gardener - Isabelle Palmer

I asked MrP to buy me this book I wanted on his special one day delivery service with Amazon, but it was Saturday night so I had to hold tight for two days. Monday came and I waited by the door like an excited child, finally the knock on the door I had been waiting for - my book was finally here! As I signed for it, the delivery driver told me I needed to water my cucumbers and as I cringed and explained that I had started growing them inside and had thrusted them into a greenhouse during a late frost. He then made a noise that filled me with a knowing fact - they were dying and I had to bring them back in and care for them until they were the strong seedlings they started out as. I had gone from pride in the morning as passers by whispered "ooh she has a greenhouse" to embarrassment in the afternoon.


As I opened the box to reveal my new book I was filled with excitement, was this book all I was hoping for? Well the quick answer is: yes. But that would make this a very short and not so interesting post. You see I have a very small space, some would barely call it a garden but as a creative person I knew there was something I could do. I had already tidied the space and built my small greenhouse and was well on the way with my seedlings but I was being impatient and that is a sure sign of a plant-murderer. I had the book The Gardeners Calendar which had helped me organise my month/task knowledge, I had been emergency delivered Growing Fruit and Veg for Dummies which was a bible of how to's but I needed something else, something to keep me organised yet creative and giving me enough information vs Pictures to stimulate me and not panic me. This was it, I had seen a review in my Living Etc magazine and it looked like my kind of book.


The Book: The Balcony Gardener
Written By: Isabelle Palmer


The quality of the book is one that makes you excited to finger through the pages, the wonderful pictures and creative layout of information to guide you on your way to having a mini garden on a balcony, roof garden or like me just very small garden with a few paving stones out front. From the beginning it guides you through what you will need to get started and then continues through the basics, urban spaces, creative recycling, all things edible, enjoying your balcony and then towards the back a journal, plant list, glossary, resources & index. It's not just a beautiful book, its an informative and ultimately creative one and that will always be a winner for me.