Now that summer is almost here my thoughts and attentions turn to herbs and plants for the balcony.  Every year I like to grow some edible plants on my balcony usually consisting of all manner of herbs, tomatoes, chillies and peppers. There is nothing better than a Caprese salad made from freshly picked tomatoes, home grown basil and milky mozzarella.

I have discovered, that unlike everything I ever tried to grow in Scotland I can plant herbs on my balcony and (due to the copious amounts of sunshine) they grow wonderfully.  I have a glut of home dried chillies gathered over the past two years so I have decided I won’t grow any this year.

Laziness meant that I hadn’t dug out last years crop of chives and so when I checked on them the other day I was delighted to see them flowering in all of their lilac beauty.  I can’t bear to dig them out until the flowers have died off, they have really brightened the place up.

I have already bought some chives and basil, they are waiting patiently in my kitchen until the rain stops and I can get planting on the balcony once more.  I’m really looking forward to getting those tomatoes in!