Our Operations Manager Dan moves on to his summer profession once winter calms down, whilst being busy with general all round handy man jobs, gardening is really his forte. He has given us a few handy tips to create a functional yet beautiful balcony garden for summer.
Marigolds are the perfect pest deterrent – Getaway Vans, Morzine
Dan says companion planting is the way to go, this basically means selecting things that will compliment each other in the sense that they work well together, for example, Marigolds are a great flower to have as they not only look good but they deter pests from the other plants and attract the lovely bees! Ooo and you can tickle up a salad with the petals as they are edible!
Cherry Tomatoes! YUM! – Getaway Vans, Morzine
Cherry tomatoes are also a good plant for a balcony garden. They are not only easy to take care of but most people love tomatoes and it’s really rewarding when you harvest your first crop!
Top Tip! Tomatoes are best grown on the balcony so you can control the water levels. They don’t like having wet leaves and in fact being too wet can cause blight.
Herbs are a great thing to grow and fairly simple. If you are taking the time to grow some tomatoes then why not compliment it with some Basil? Basil tastes good and smells fantastic!
Basil! – Getaway Vans, Morzine
Top Tip! Remember to only water your basil in the morning as it does not like to go to bed with wet feet! Who does!?
Nasturtiums are another great plant as not only do they look lovely, you can eat the leaves and flowers in a yummy salad. You can also use the seeds as capers…
Nasturtiums, tasty and pretty! – Getaway Vans, Morzine
Final Top Tip! Don’t get too excited as it’s still a bit too chilly at night for new plants so hold off until the end of April and you should be good to go!
Thanks to Dan at Montriond Multiservices for his tips and hints! Check out his Permaculture Morzine facebook page for more gardening help!
Come and visit this summer to see all the amazing allotments and beautiful chalets dressed with flowers in full bloom. Don’t forget to book your transfer!