I want to start a small garden on a balcony.
Does anybody have any good resources? (Japanese is fine)
I would like something that is hard to kill.
starting a small garden on a balcony.
Re: starting a small garden on a balcony.
No resources, just personal experience 
Unless your balcony is north facing (then it may be difficult to grow anything besides ivy - but most are south facing) - it is not difficult at all.
So far I had good success with money trees (a bit boring, but almost impossible to kill, unless a root eating beetle decides to lay its eggs into the soil ….) also no need to buy them, they grow semi-wild and can be grown from their leaves or other parts.
Regarding blooming plants, I like those that last years and not just one season e. g.:
- Impatiens (seems to be Busy Lizzy in English) very hardy, cheap come in various colors and easily spread from their seeds, and thus you might find them in other flower pots the following season. I prefer the simple version (with small broader leaves), but there are many varieties.
- Sun parasol, saw it in Japan for the first time a few years ago, big red flowers very attractive, comes back every year from June.
- Lantana, changes its color, very nice.
- Oleander (various colors), can be pinched from the roadside (all parts are poisonous though), not quite as resistent against diseases.
All those flowering plants do need a lot of water, not only when it is hot and sunny, but also during windy days, also fertilizer about 2-3 few times between spring and autumn.
They can stay outside all year, if you live in Kanto or further south and on the plains.
Good luck!
Unless your balcony is north facing (then it may be difficult to grow anything besides ivy - but most are south facing) - it is not difficult at all.So far I had good success with money trees (a bit boring, but almost impossible to kill, unless a root eating beetle decides to lay its eggs into the soil ….) also no need to buy them, they grow semi-wild and can be grown from their leaves or other parts.
Regarding blooming plants, I like those that last years and not just one season e. g.:
- Impatiens (seems to be Busy Lizzy in English) very hardy, cheap come in various colors and easily spread from their seeds, and thus you might find them in other flower pots the following season.
I prefer the simple version (with small broader leaves), but there are many varieties.- Sun parasol, saw it in Japan for the first time a few years ago, big red flowers very attractive, comes back every year from June.
- Lantana, changes its color, very nice.
- Oleander (various colors), can be pinched from the roadside (all parts are poisonous though), not quite as resistent against diseases.
All those flowering plants do need a lot of water, not only when it is hot and sunny, but also during windy days, also fertilizer about 2-3 few times between spring and autumn.
They can stay outside all year, if you live in Kanto or further south and on the plains.
Good luck!
Re: starting a small garden on a balcony.
Good luck with your balcony garden! For low-maintenance plants, I'd recommend herbs like basil, mint, or cilantro. They're easy to care for and can thrive in small spaces. You can also consider succulents or air plants - they're hard to kill and don't need much watering.