OK. Maybe more than a bit.
Last year, I struggled to find a few photos of balcony gardens in my neighborhood. And I was sad that more people didn't have a garden as a part of their home. This summer, the story is different. Here are a few photos of my neighbors. I found a lot more apartments with plants on the balconies than I found last year. Maybe gardening is contagious?
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I just want you to know i ADORE your blog. I have subscribed to it via RSS for almost a year now I think.... when yours pops up with a new post I get all excited! I have a balcony garden too, this year, double the size of last year. It's almost to the point too where my boyfriend tells me he needs some space to put his BBQ... but NOT quite haha... Anyways, beautiful garden, LOVE it.. SO CUTE! thanks for having this blog!
ReplyDeleteI love this post (and this blog). I totally agree, it is contagious and even a small step you make has a huge effect on the environment. I noticed the same thing when I started taking care of the lawn in front of our block of flats, transforming it into some flowerbeds. They say love is contagious and I think beauty is, too. One feels less helpless about the state our world is in. Starting with little things around us we can let the ripple effect take over. I probably sound like some crazy missionary here, but I wouldn't mind being a crazy green missionary :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope your blog and your balcony will inspire many more followers! :-)
I am here to testify that YES, it is contagious. When I first started my balcony garden eyars ago, my end of the garden apartment complex had NO visable flowers. Oh the comments I got were rewarding! In the following years, first one neighbor, then three more, etc. I consider this to be Positive Peer Pressure. Our co-op board has thanked the residents for their plantings. Since we own our apartments, the plantings help keep our values UP. Who knew that Pretty was a Good Investment?
ReplyDeleteAlso laughing my way thru your photos. Did your neighbors think you were some kind of spy walking around the premises and clicking away on the camera? (lol)
Hmmm. May a balcony contest would be fun?
Thanks, Erin! I know how it goes when the man of the house thinks his BBQ/grill space is in jeopardy...Every now and then my husband comments that "the plants are taking over" and suggests that I cut back. Sometimes I shuffle the pots a little to make him feel better. I don't know why they get so antsy about their grill space. I mean, the grill is there, it's not like I threw it away. And there's room to stand in front of it. What more could they want?
ReplyDeleteChamomilla - Thanks! :D And I think the world needs crazy green missionaries. The crazier and greener the better!
ReplyDeleteHi Joan. It's great to know a little garden can have a big positive impact!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure my neighbors thought I was crazy anyway. I think I got more funny looks for riding my bike in a dress and heels than for flashing my camera everywhere.
Balcony garden contest!? I think you're on to something.
It's CONTAGIOUS!!! OH NOES!!! lol...
ReplyDeleteErin, I've got a question for you that doesn't really have anything to do with this post - I showed my best friend your method of hanging railing planters with ropes, since she can't get hooks for her railing, but she is a bit worried about the boxes breaking. So I said I'd ask you: How long have you had this setup, and have there been any signs of them breaking/threathening to fall?
ReplyDeleteHi Ivynettle — I haven't seen any sign that they will break and fall.
ReplyDeleteI've had them up for a little more than a year and they've been through a lot of harsh weather. (If you aren't familiar with the climate in Iowa — summers are hot and humid and highs of 90 °F (32 °C) are normal, and 100 °F isn't uncommon. And winter is cold, like 0 °F (−18 °C) is normal.) And because of the balcony's orientation and the glass doors, temps in the garden often get 20°F hotter than the weathermen report. And I left them outside all last winter. Considering they've been through a lot of sun and ice — I have to say I'm surprised with how well they're holding up.
The plastic HAS warped a bit — they bow out a little in the middle from the weight of the soil. But the nylon ropes are still solid and the holes haven't cracked.
Only thing is that the trays that snap on the bottom to catch water don't stay on. After a couple fell off I just removed them all. Don't need 'em anyway.
Thanks! I'll pass that on to my friend, and I'll probably use it myself once I finally get my own place. It's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteSo exciting to see other people with a few plants here and there! Gardening can definitely become an obsession quickly! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteTak for deling ..!
ReplyDeleteNice-Blog