Caroline Williamson
@caromw.bsky.social
Poet, political tragic, keyboard warrior. Melbourne Australia. PhD from Monash University: 'The coalfield and the apocalypse: poetry and the politics of time'. My collection Time Machines published by Vagabond Press, Sydney. Balcony garden.
Seven months of growing things in Mr Stacky, and the shine is wearing off. (1) not comfortable with entirely chemical nutrition, waste of a good compost bin (2) coir dries out very quickly, constant watering needed (3) I really like soil and all its complexities even if things don't grow as quickly.
November 26, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Seven months of growing things in Mr Stacky, and the shine is wearing off. (1) not comfortable with entirely chemical nutrition, waste of a good compost bin (2) coir dries out very quickly, constant watering needed (3) I really like soil and all its complexities even if things don't grow as quickly.
The weather changes so quickly in Melbourne. One day of summer on Thursday, 31F, and this little correa was dying of thirst by evening. It is now recovering nicely in the shade. No more sunlight till the end of autumn.
October 18, 2025 at 1:19 AM
The weather changes so quickly in Melbourne. One day of summer on Thursday, 31F, and this little correa was dying of thirst by evening. It is now recovering nicely in the shade. No more sunlight till the end of autumn.
The last image of this invasive, pot-hating plant that I dug up in our old garden out of pure sentimentality. It was a bloody nuisance in the garden, and now it's turning up its toes on the balcony. I am the kind of naive, messy gardener who wants everything to live, but there are limits.
August 6, 2025 at 12:43 AM
The last image of this invasive, pot-hating plant that I dug up in our old garden out of pure sentimentality. It was a bloody nuisance in the garden, and now it's turning up its toes on the balcony. I am the kind of naive, messy gardener who wants everything to live, but there are limits.
I might be a bit slow moving when it comes to useful tools for balcony gardening. But I bought a hose wand on Sunday and already I can't imagine how I managed without it. How to water hanging baskets. How to deliver a gentle downpour over every potted plant. Watering cans may be a thing of the past.
July 29, 2025 at 6:45 AM
I might be a bit slow moving when it comes to useful tools for balcony gardening. But I bought a hose wand on Sunday and already I can't imagine how I managed without it. How to water hanging baskets. How to deliver a gentle downpour over every potted plant. Watering cans may be a thing of the past.
I love this story so much. Not sure how guerrilla gardening in Colombia relates to balcony gardening in a newish apartment block in Melbourne, but I'm putting this here so I can find it again when I've worked out the connections. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
The enchanted car park: how a ruined multi-storey became a garden paradise loved by lizards and dog-walkers
Once a hangout for sex workers and drug addicts, a parking lot in Medellín, Colombia, has been reborn as a green haven for all. We meet the ‘social urbanists’ credited with reducing crime – and even t...
www.theguardian.com
July 3, 2025 at 1:17 AM
I love this story so much. Not sure how guerrilla gardening in Colombia relates to balcony gardening in a newish apartment block in Melbourne, but I'm putting this here so I can find it again when I've worked out the connections. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Couple of well-grown native shrubs, grevillea and banksia, from a plant sale down the road yesterday. These are ex-display - they've been to the tennis! The grevillea wasn't happy, so I found it a bigger pot, and now they're both in the far corner of the balcony, facing a cold night.
June 14, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Couple of well-grown native shrubs, grevillea and banksia, from a plant sale down the road yesterday. These are ex-display - they've been to the tennis! The grevillea wasn't happy, so I found it a bigger pot, and now they're both in the far corner of the balcony, facing a cold night.
Parcel of midwinter seeds for the balcony and maybe also the community garden, if they want some. TWO kinds of radish (black Spanish and rido red), alpine strawberry seeds, and a couple of bulbs of Kangaroo Island garlic. Divine. From the Seed Collective in Upper Ferntree Gully.
June 10, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Parcel of midwinter seeds for the balcony and maybe also the community garden, if they want some. TWO kinds of radish (black Spanish and rido red), alpine strawberry seeds, and a couple of bulbs of Kangaroo Island garlic. Divine. From the Seed Collective in Upper Ferntree Gully.
Proper rain last night and more on the way. It hardly came into the balcony at all, but the trees outside are very happy.
June 3, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Proper rain last night and more on the way. It hardly came into the balcony at all, but the trees outside are very happy.
Not sure about hydroponics. Like to think of myself as an organic gardener. But these lettuce seedlings are eight days out from planting seeds and going gangbusters.
April 30, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Not sure about hydroponics. Like to think of myself as an organic gardener. But these lettuce seedlings are eight days out from planting seeds and going gangbusters.
That little green leaf thing peeping over the side of a small basket just above compost bin, plant stakes, cardboard etc? That is going to be a huge, beautiful staghorn fern. One day. If I get the watering right. Not too little, not too much...
April 27, 2025 at 5:10 AM
That little green leaf thing peeping over the side of a small basket just above compost bin, plant stakes, cardboard etc? That is going to be a huge, beautiful staghorn fern. One day. If I get the watering right. Not too little, not too much...
Hydroponics. Mr Stacky all set up, seeds planted. First seedlings showing up. First hydroponic feed. Technical hitch: how do I measure 3 ml of each of these lurid solutions? Teaspoon and guesswork, have ordered proper measuring spoons.
April 26, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Hydroponics. Mr Stacky all set up, seeds planted. First seedlings showing up. First hydroponic feed. Technical hitch: how do I measure 3 ml of each of these lurid solutions? Teaspoon and guesswork, have ordered proper measuring spoons.
There is the most amazing balcony gardener living high up in a tower block in Manchester, UK. I've just discovered his videos and I am in awe. British weather, 18th floor, tomatoes, broccoli, garden arches with roses and wisteria...
cloudgardeneruk.co.uk
cloudgardeneruk.co.uk
Cloud Gardener UK
My name's Jason Williams and my 18th floor balcony garden "The Cloud Garden" is located in Manchester UK.
cloudgardeneruk.co.uk
April 16, 2025 at 10:20 AM
There is the most amazing balcony gardener living high up in a tower block in Manchester, UK. I've just discovered his videos and I am in awe. British weather, 18th floor, tomatoes, broccoli, garden arches with roses and wisteria...
cloudgardeneruk.co.uk
cloudgardeneruk.co.uk
My balcony but not my seedlings. These are for the community garden just outside our building. There's a monthly working bee, and this will be a batch of winter herbs and veggies. Melbourne wnter isn't that different to an English summer.
April 16, 2025 at 7:57 AM
My balcony but not my seedlings. These are for the community garden just outside our building. There's a monthly working bee, and this will be a batch of winter herbs and veggies. Melbourne wnter isn't that different to an English summer.
Why are seeds so cheap? Spent a blissful hour or so last night on The Seed Collection website ordering spring onions, spinach, rocket, parsley, garlic chives, coriander and four kinds of lettuce, all for my newly assembled Mr Stacky. Grand total of $18.75 inc p&p. Local company. I'd pay double.
April 13, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Why are seeds so cheap? Spent a blissful hour or so last night on The Seed Collection website ordering spring onions, spinach, rocket, parsley, garlic chives, coriander and four kinds of lettuce, all for my newly assembled Mr Stacky. Grand total of $18.75 inc p&p. Local company. I'd pay double.
There are garden designers out there who say the overall design of a balcony garden should come before any other decisions. But here we are with a compost bin, and a puppy potty, and now Mr Stacky waiting for his seeds. He looks impressive, but he's waist height. Looking forward to fresh greens.
April 13, 2025 at 12:46 AM
There are garden designers out there who say the overall design of a balcony garden should come before any other decisions. But here we are with a compost bin, and a puppy potty, and now Mr Stacky waiting for his seeds. He looks impressive, but he's waist height. Looking forward to fresh greens.
Essential equipment for balcony: real grass puppy/pussy potty. Now being well used. Just added dolomite lime to the burnt bits. Apparently dog wee does not kill the roots; expecting regrowth any week now.
April 5, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Essential equipment for balcony: real grass puppy/pussy potty. Now being well used. Just added dolomite lime to the burnt bits. Apparently dog wee does not kill the roots; expecting regrowth any week now.
(1) Puppy potties made in Melbourne, and using the standard roll of real turf available at Bunnings. One was enough for the cat, but the dog's trainer told us that was too small for him to turn round in the traditional doggy way. So we got another one, but there's been a shortage of turf.
March 25, 2025 at 11:50 PM
(1) Puppy potties made in Melbourne, and using the standard roll of real turf available at Bunnings. One was enough for the cat, but the dog's trainer told us that was too small for him to turn round in the traditional doggy way. So we got another one, but there's been a shortage of turf.
Took a while to work out that we don't want another dinner table on the balcony, we want somewhere to veg out.
March 25, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Took a while to work out that we don't want another dinner table on the balcony, we want somewhere to veg out.
2. So I've been removing tomatoes (too late in the season) and zucchini (too big). Parsley, spinach and rocket are coming along nicely. But what on earth is that straight stem coming up in the middle of everything? Surely not asparagus?
March 19, 2025 at 1:53 AM
2. So I've been removing tomatoes (too late in the season) and zucchini (too big). Parsley, spinach and rocket are coming along nicely. But what on earth is that straight stem coming up in the middle of everything? Surely not asparagus?
1. Quite apart from the balcony, I have also taken responsibility for a raised garden bed on the top floor of our apartment block. The previous manager installed a wicking system and implemented a let-everything-just-seed-itself policy. Parsley, spinach, mustard, tomatoes, zucchini...
March 19, 2025 at 1:50 AM
1. Quite apart from the balcony, I have also taken responsibility for a raised garden bed on the top floor of our apartment block. The previous manager installed a wicking system and implemented a let-everything-just-seed-itself policy. Parsley, spinach, mustard, tomatoes, zucchini...
The balcony compost bin. Needs to be raised a few cm on solid base, to make access to the hose easier. Had a bit of a debate about where to put it, happy with this position. Cardboard boxes and newspapers will never be leaving this apartment ever again. #balconygarden
March 4, 2025 at 1:55 AM
The balcony compost bin. Needs to be raised a few cm on solid base, to make access to the hose easier. Had a bit of a debate about where to put it, happy with this position. Cardboard boxes and newspapers will never be leaving this apartment ever again. #balconygarden
First hanging basket. Bought a hare's foot fern (NZ) on the advice of a friendly staffer at Ceres. If it survives, it'll tumble beautifully over the edges of the basket.
February 28, 2025 at 5:03 AM
First hanging basket. Bought a hare's foot fern (NZ) on the advice of a friendly staffer at Ceres. If it survives, it'll tumble beautifully over the edges of the basket.
High winds this morning and high temperatures later. Fed and watered most plants (Charlie Carp fish emulsion). Then some emergency tying up. Just got to the tomatoes in time. #balconygarden
February 12, 2025 at 11:31 PM
High winds this morning and high temperatures later. Fed and watered most plants (Charlie Carp fish emulsion). Then some emergency tying up. Just got to the tomatoes in time. #balconygarden
To compost or not to compost, that is the question. Better to put food scraps in the bin downstairs, where they will (presumably) be sent off to be composted at high temperatures, or spend $300+ on an Aerobin which will take up space on the balcony? Dithering. #balconygarden
February 10, 2025 at 12:53 AM
To compost or not to compost, that is the question. Better to put food scraps in the bin downstairs, where they will (presumably) be sent off to be composted at high temperatures, or spend $300+ on an Aerobin which will take up space on the balcony? Dithering. #balconygarden