By Coco Clayman Cook

Spring is here and it is time to spruce up the plants on your balcony.  Personally, I love orchids, succulents and flowering plants.  But the other day I visited a friend who has created a wonderful garden on her balcony, all with vegetable plants.  It was clever, chic, healthy and quite beautiful, not to mention economical.

I especially loved her hanging salad bowls.  She has always had tiered hanging baskets of flowers on her balcony, this year they have lettuces, herbs, spinach and even heirloom cherry tomatoes.  They were lovely.  While I was there she took a pair of scissors and snipped a salad for me.  Gourmet salad greens with fresh spinach, cilantro and a few tomatoes, does it get any better than that? 

This spring take a look at your balcony and consider what kind of a garden you would enjoy having.