Four citrus trees on an apartment balcony three flights up. A dramatic Ponderosa lemon. A tomato sharing a pot with a succulent. And a gardening assistant named Stevie who supervises from inside a cardboard box. Is it slightly unhinged? Probably. But even tiny things are still growing through hard seasons.

by Kyra Fant Growing herbs and plants on my apartment balcony has become one of my favorite things in the world. That said, it’s a passion that has come with a significant learning curve. It's a little hard to admit, but despite having parents with certified green thumbs, my own journey has been... well, let's just say I've cultivated a small, respectable plant graveyard. My primary challenge is an apartment balcony that faces the intense, direct Florida sun—a microclimate that some plants...