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Tuesday 28 April 2009

Gardening on a Balcony

After 20 years of gardening, I'm amazed that I'm still amazed by the effect that plants have on a space. I don't often get to appreciate this first-hand, because I usually have to leave my gardens behind when I go home.



Michelle and I bought a flat a little over a year ago, and one of the things that really appealed to us was the big balcony, which in Durban is a great asset for enjoying our sweltering hot summers.
Its taken us a while, because up until now we've had other priorities, but we've finally gotten round to tackling the balcony.



The cage over the succulents is to keep our
vegetarian cat from munching


The catalyst was a pair of old pots that I had laying around from an old show that I did a few years back. After several coats of charcoal coloured paint to cover their awful green colour, and a quick trip down to the nursery, we had the impetus we needed to really get stuck in to planning and fixing up the area. Which up till now has become a bit of a dumping ground for all the stuff that has nowhere else to go.
A terracotta pot that we've tried quite unsuccessfully to grow herbs in, is now the home for all the succulents that I haven't been able to resist buying when I've been shopping for plants for clients.

Sitting down and appreciating the balcony with the plants, a cup of tea and Michelle's fresh baked biscuits this afternoon, it finally felt like a space that I can enjoy.

Now to figure out the furniture...


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the "cat cage" over the succulents! You should patent the idea, and help protect innocent plants from marauding kitties on balconies everywhere.

Chookie said...

A lovely balcony AND a double rainbow! Lucky you!

stoneware70 said...

Susan - Hmmm...maybe I will, but I think it might be too simple to patent - its just an overturned hanging basket...

Chookie - Thanks, I know and perfect timing too - the storm watered my new plants for me, and washed away the mess on the balcony!

Boulder Xeriscape Landscape said...

People with no yard or people living in the city can certainly get so much from these tips. I do live in a condo with a spacious balcony. Thanks.

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