Can I grow a winter container garden in low light?

full spectrum light bulbs..the ones that say daylight on the box. Either in floresent or grow bulbs. Most plants need 6 to 8 hours of light...use a timer. Most plants hibernate during the winter...some cool weather plants like kale or cabbage should do ok. Min. Temp I’ve been told is 60 degree f. Use a proper amount of fertilizer..don’t over do it. More is not better.

Plant christmas ferns, different varieties of pothos, heuchera (coral bells) and helleborus (lenten roses). All are evergreen. Lenten roses bloom in winter and have many different color blooms, heuchera has beautiful varieties of foliage that is prettier than the blooms (stalks of little bells). You can always set them out in dappled shade occasionally if you feel the need to give them more light. A mixture of these plants will give you nice container mixtures.

Post pics of your deep shade container garden design!

https://www.thespruce.com/great-shade-plants-for-container-gardens-847944

Lucky you! Catalina Island, how fun! Just get a grow light or two. Try not to over fertilize, it will burn the plant roots. Or have your winter garden in a different place? Move to a sunnier location on your property?

If you live on Catalina... then the temperatures there do not often get below freezing and frost is not a huge issue. The success of a winter garden is in the choice of plants... those that tolerate cooler temperatures, like those in the northern states where their summers are the same as our winters. (We live in AZ and winter, up until about Feb. is our second growing season)

Maybe the way to your success is to get the containers off your porch and out into as much sun as the day will give you.

Low light plants might do it but all plants hibernate in winter.

Ahh veggies! Sorry, I can't think of any with such low-light conditions. On a good note, you can add grow light bulbs to almost any fixture so they blend in to your decor subtly and you don't end up looking like an industrial growhouse. They even have LED strips for growing. I'd ask your local extension office if anything will grow in the short days of winter with grow lighting. (Amount of daytime matters as much as warmth.)

they grow lots of spinach and squash in northern areas.... also as a space saver... cucumbers, melons, and squash can be grown on a type of trellis... check out Gardnersupply.com for ideas.

Also since you live on the 2nd floor... did you think about mirrors on the back and side walls of the balcony to multiply the light you do get? They could be thrift store finds or cheap door mirrors... they are for function not aesthetics.