Purple and Greene, thanks for the tips for basil! I do a lot of my own sauces and make most foods myself, so having fresh herbs would be great! Though, parsley would not survive here (not because of the conditions, but it would be eaten too quickly!)

As for flowers from veggie plants, I never had issues with them (my mom always grew tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and various other things that differed year to year)

This is he balcony to give you a better idea of what I can do outside

Yes, I see it has quite a bit of shade. I wonder if well-placed mirrors could increase the available sunlight? I have seen people use mirrors when starting seeds indoors.

There are some lovely window shelves available online if space is a problem. That would keep your plants to maybe miniatures or smaller vines, some trailing african violets for color but they still fit in small places.
Then again if you only have one window you may need it for the AC or fresh air. You are the only one who can determine what you can use. As for ideas of different plants you can get, It depends on what you want to enjoy, cactus, flowers, vines, spider plants work in all sorts of light and the help cleanse the air......what kind of plants are you looking for Joe? Foregive me for asking if already that has been covered. I did not have time to read the entire thread.

JB, I'm trying to find non-flowering decorative plants or possibly veggies that would grow with what I've got. I have a kitchen window with a sill I can put things on, and a bedroom window that seems to get a lot of light in the morning. Air cleaning is good inside (I do a lot of film photography, the smells and fumes from those can get strong)

This is not something that could be done to a rented space, but I saw two manufactured homes with porches like the following.

The roof over a porch or car port or patio or shed can be made of translucent plexiglass. That lets through enough light to count as partial sun or partial shade.

Part of my current back porch has one translucent side, but it's covered and surrounded by tall trees and deep shade. Oh, well.

Now that I think about it, a car port with clear roof and sides sounds a lot like a greenhouse or a tall stand-up hoop tunnel. Maybe they are too flimsy to stand up to side winds once enclosed.

I wouldn't chance that here, even if I had the ability to. One hurricane, and there it goes!!!

To me, they look like little sailing ships where the foliage is their sails.

In a wind they might fly away with part of the roof still attached.

Yeah... it's bad enough trying to figure out who the storm doors belong to...

Joe, how about a spider plant, there are tiny curley ones that are slow growers and really cute. That would be great for a table in your bedroom near the window. You could also use peace lillies, small of course that would be good inside, not on the window sill so it gets light, you do not need sunshine for either of those. Both are good for helping with cleansing the air.
On your kitchern window sill, if you want to, you could put some herbs that you use in a long thin container and keep them all in one pot.
There are also some cute little ferns and philodendrun which you can keep cut back if it gets too viney for you. There is also a little viney plant called wondering jew that is redish and is nice if you keep it trimmed. All of these are easy to grow easy to find houseplants that are perfect for a busy man. Try and find plants that all take basically the same care. Makes it easier for you.
If you like cactus, there are loads of adorable small cacti that are fun to grow. Ever try and make a little rock garden with some sedum or cats and kittens(chicks and Peeps) whatever you call them, in a larger container near a window. You are into photography and obviously artistic, so picture what you want and the plants are out there to make it. Hope this helps. Use your imagination...that always works. Have a good day.

Any ideas on if I would be able to grow peppers? Also curious if cucumbers are able to climb, I know they are a vine, but not sure if they can climb a frame if I were to put one in the sunnier side of the balcony

You could try a bush-type cuke.
Or how about a miniature type called Creeping Cucumber aka Melothria pendula which is a vine but the tiny cukes are not heavy at all and the plant doesn't need much support..

I can't seem to find creeping cucumber! I'll take a look later this month. Do they tend to produce a lot of cucumbers?

Are you using the botanical name when you are searching? Please do, and try again.

Remember to only eat the green fruit as the fully ripe, black fruit has a laxative effect.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/cre...

I am trying to find them locally if possible. Shipping seems to be insane for most plants!

I'll keep that in mind! How similar in taste are they to normal cucumbers? And I ask about the quantity of the cucumbers because I have a tendency to sit by a cucumber plant and feast. My mom couldn't figure out where they all went

Just ordered a couple white box planters so I can give basil another try! Also picking up a couple bromeliads next week, might be getting a spider plant from someone soon too!

I also seem to be getting some baby snake plants in my make-shift greenhouse (used the bag I got a comforter in).

Sounds like a plan to get things going... Enjoy!

We used to live in an apartment in Los Angeles county, had a nice garden setting in the middle of the building complex and the apartments above where we lived had a balcony across each unit. But since there is a hallway, had to make sure we were not blocking the way too. The other consideration then too was the amount of light that limited space gets. Luckily we get some good morning sun and there is cool breeze from the ocean a few miles down the road.

Here is how our balcony and hallways were like:


So what we did is to get this cubical stand, so I can get the sun passing through on the lower shelves and most of my plants are a mixed bag of shade loving ones and also I chose some drought tolerant ones: this photo was taken when I was just beginning to plant on the balcony. We were not allowed to have anything hanging by the posts, as it may fall out. At that time I am not keen in getting the names but now as I look at this photo, some are Dracaenas, tillandsias, and that drought tolerant in the middle, love that one, leaf texture is like cardboard, but grows so well, very minimal maintenance if any at all.


Later on added some more plants:
Got a corner metal stand, so more plants in a corner. I made sure the container drains but the lower part holds the water safely so it will not be spilling too much.
Dracaenas, Spathiphyllum


Added a Schefflera and some small succulents in a layered container. Every container has a dish to hold excess water.


Just some more Dracaenas and a cymbidium at the corner. At that time I did not know how to grow Cymbidiums I almost tossed it out, then saw a spike after almost a year..very resilient one.


And I got this plant..thrived well, do not know its name, I just love the leaves and its cut outs..but such a prolific grower, had to give it up to a friend, since it is quick to outgrow its container:



In our apartment complex, I always have to make sure the balcony does not get messy with water spills, and if we ever do get rain, it is only around winter, if we get any at all. Always so dry in Los Angeles anyways, so having a dish to hold excess water after watering helps to keep the moisture levels around the plant.

We moved to another apartment area in Alameda County and a little bigger gardening space, but still limited with the sun at times..so I just maintained the cubical stand and the metal corner one, and added some more succulents, spider plants, sometimes it is trial and error.:



There was a time I have put a solar water fountain..but it was a bit challenging since I do not get full sun all day long, had to switch to AC connection in the afternoons:


Hope this helps you get ideas what to plant in your apartment Important to know the angle of the sun, and if the plants can tolerate being left outdoors during seasonal changes.