Card 1 — The Goal
🪴 The 3-Pot Start: Three 10-inch pots — herbs, flowers, greens — lined along the sunniest edge. One cup of water every other day. That's a garden, not a project.
The 3-Pot Balcony Garden: 5 Steps to Green in a Tiny Space
Card 2 — Step 1
🗼 The Vertical Rack: A $20 metal shelf rack stacks pots UP instead of out, zip-tied so nothing tips. Triple the plants, same square foot of floor.
Card 3 — Step 2
🌿 The Wind-Proof Herb Trio: Basil, mint, chives — the three that shrug off wind and inconsistent watering. Cut stems 2 inches above the soil and they regrow for months.
Card 4 — Step 3
🕳️ The Drainage Rule: Every pot needs 3+ drainage holes — drill them if they're missing. Waterlogged soil kills more balcony plants than sun, wind, and neglect combined.
Card 5 — The Cheat Sheet
🧱 The Rubber Mat Base: A rubber mat under the pots protects the balcony floor, stops slides in wind, and insulates roots from summer-baked concrete. $10, three problems solved.