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One of my clients wanted to know about doing vegetables on a balcony in Cape Point.
I have never lived in the Cape, but what I know of any coastal area is this: wind, lots of wind.
So in keeping with that I advised this:
My suggestion for a balcony would be: half metre high (50-60cm) the whole lenght of the balcony, on all sides put 60-80% shade cloth. That is to stop the wind. Next get pots, now here you are going to have to follow my reasoning, you are looking for a container that will have good surface area, not too much depth and drainage. Problem is most pots you can buy at a nursery don't fit this description. The plastic pots tend to be sloped like cones, which is fine but the surface area gets to be little in relation to unneeded depth. So I'd suggest getting 28-35cm width plastic basins and drilling holes in them, I'd use them to plant the chillis in, with herbs between the chilli plants.
Then for the artichoke and tomato I'd buy the plastic pots sold by nurseries 25-30cm is the minimum I'd use. Artichokes get big, one plant per pot. Tomatoes love basil, so I'd sow some basil in with them after I transplant the seedlings (seedlings get transplanted when 3rd leave appeared or 7cm high).

That's the containers I'd suggest. More smaller containers for the chillis are inadvisable as the smaller the amount of ground/medium, the more the conditions like water and temperature fluctuate. So rather 5 plants in a basin.

Next very, very important. The medium. Seedling soil is fine for germinating vegetable seed as they are robust, so 75% germination is good and doable. To have the best result from your vegetables you want a medium that will hold some moisture without rotting your plants. The irony here is that I would suggest seedling soil as a mixture to grow vegetables in, many even for direct sowing.(See Important READ! , and you'll see the irony) The texture of seedling soil is finer than potting soil, and potting soil when dry, you only ever get wet again if you soak it in water. So I'd go with seedling soil, it has some slow release fertilizer in as well. I'd consider adding some (15%) vermiculite, it stores water which it releases slowly into the surrounding soil and it makes for loosness in the mix, which is great for the roots. Never use garden or topsoil in pots. Pots are not a natural growing enviroment.
Next we come to fertilizer, when planting veggies I'd suggest using bonemeal, it's cheap and can't harm your plants. I love using Seagro or another organic liquid fertilizer, it works out quite affordable as well. And you often get it at your grocery store, no special trip to a nursery required. In Gauteng we also get a granular fertilizer called Bounce back, I like it as the granules take a time to dissolve so everytime you water you give your plants some food.(It can smell however) You could mix some compost in, say 25% with the original seedling soil, but I'd stay away from Moopoo in containers.

Regarding herbs: many herb seed are very easy and others are really only for experts. I try to only stock the first: basil, artichoke, borage,chives, bergamot. But parsley, thyme and savory is also quite easy. Never try lavander, rosemary or other shrubby herbs, rather buy plants. They can be done, but I don't advice them for beginners.

As for your using a small hothouse/greenhouse- use it to get the seed up, once they are up move to partial shade and when big enough transplant, but protect from wind. (Not for keeping your plants in)
Also never water tomatoes in the afternoon, they need to be dry before the cold of night comes or they will get "rust/ black spot" Also as to what to grow, spy over the fence as it were, meaning walk through a local nursery or 2 and see what seedlings they sell.