I love the idea of stepping outside to snip some herbs for making a meal.
I can only grow potted herbs at one end of the balcony which only receives morning sunlight. The balcony has daily human traffic, and so the shelving has to be narrow. It has to be relocatable to make way for furniture removalists occasionally using the balcony. People downstairs grow plants in similar shady circumstances. They grow plants that don't need full sun all the time. Similarly I will select herbs which grow okay under such lighting. However, it can get quite windy at times, mostly from the south. Plan to use a mesh wind break along the back of the shelf.
Using up to eight 300 mm (12") plastic pots. Plan to grow basil, parsley, chives, shallots, mint, bay, and possibly dill. Do you have any other suggestions?
My other goal is to have an automatic watering system via misting. Since each herb requires a unique, and ideal, degree of moisture, each potted plant will have its own water level sensor and mister.
