I have been putting off sharing photos of my new balcony, even though I promised them, because my balcony is largely in pretty sorry shape. With so much going on, I just haven’t had time to repot everything I wanted to repot, and I think I also need some new planters for some of my smaller plants. Not to mention that it is winter, and even in California, that means that some plants are leafless.
But my friend Bob promised that no one would hate me if I shared photos of my less than perfect balcony, so you guys better not abandon the blog en masse! Otherwise I’ll send Bob out after you…
This corner of my balcony I am largely pretty happy with. I’ll directly sow some annuals into the large pot when it gets closer to spring, but other than those bare spots, I think things are looking pretty good. You can also see that P. Allen Smith pot is maturing nicely…
This corner is also looking pretty good. Except for the bare spot in that pot wth the strawberries and the black sweet potato vine. There was a silver artemesia there, but it was infested with aphids. I didn’t really have time to deal with it, so I cut it back hard, thinking that would solve the aphid problem and also help correct the weird shape the plant had developed. Bad idea. It looks like the artemesia died. Whoops.
This part doesn’t look bad, per se. Just empty. I planted some really pretty spinach seeds from Botanical Interests in the pockets of the strawberry pot. The spinach has wine-red veins. When those sprout, I think this pot is going to look grogeous!
And then this is the “ugly” corner. These are all little baby plants that need a new home. I am trying to decide if I should create the planter I envision myself, or just find a close, already made version.
Then there are the plants that got mangled a few storms ago. I was in the process of packing and I forgot to protect my plants from the rain. One of those wounded in action was my favorite aeonium.
There is also a pot with my apple tree in it. But it is so ugly I just can’t bear to claim it “in public.” The Thai basil is cut back to a few sticks, and the chives have gotten really leggy and ugly. And there is a huge bare spot that I need to fill. Sorry Bob, I just couldn’t lay it all out there for everyone to see…
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s beautiful! Thank you for showing the not so perfect views of your balcony
I have not so perfect sections of my garden right now too.
Fern- It is awesome!
Its hard to believe you just moved in. Your plantings look fabulous, especially considering its winter! I could send you a picture of mine, but it would just be snow and dusty pots in my basement. Be happy for the empty spots, it means you have space for more plants!
Also, thanks for the upgrade from blog-stalker to friend/hired guns.
Bob–I figured it was your fault I posted photos of my balcony, it was your responsibility to beat anyone up who hated on me for a few ugly pots.
Megan–Thanks!
Hi, Fern — The nice thing about aeoniums is that they produce new leaves from the center of the rosette, and any older, damaged leaves fall off. Aeoniums get leggy over time because their stems continually elongate. If you like a fuller look, you can cut off the rosettes, leaving a few inches of stem, and re-root them as you would any cutting. Now is a good time to do that because aeoniums are winter growers. I don’t recommend keeping the old plants—headless stems sometimes produce new growth, but not dependably.
Debra–Thanks for the really great tips! It might be time to make cuttings out of my aeonium. Either this year, or next. It isn’t gangly yet, but it’s close.
They sure look like a nice group of beautiful plantings to me! Thanks for sharing. I followed this first link and realized that in addition to an apple tree you have a blood orange and a peach, all in containers. Wow! I’m impressed.
Don’t worry about the aeonium. Mine are all outside were they get beaten up by rain and hail and they seem to recover soon. They are sturdy, they even survive being regularly eaten by rabbits!
My entire balcony is not so perfect right now. I see yours and think, “WOW! Those look amazing!” I need to overhaul my own balcony, STAT.
It looks awesome! If this is what it looks like in winter I can’t wait to see what it will look like in the summer. I wish I could have a cutting of your burros tail. My cutting, from a friend, died when I moved into my new house. I think the pot was dropped.
Fern, they look great — thanks for posting. If you’ve got any extra space, how about throwing in some lettuce or parsley to nibble on? All my pots are in transition. I went nuts, as usual, at the Armstrong plant sale and wound up putting everything together in a hodge-podge…I’ll get it sorted out when the weather clears. Do you ever put plants together temporarily in a large pot with the intent to regroup them later?
I’m glad you updated! It reminds us mortals that you get busy with life and have to delay on tending your green children just like the rest of us
Fern,
It’s all cute to me! Good work. I can’t imagine how awesome it will be when you feel really great about it! Watch out balcony gardening world!
Honey, for brand new in January, this looks lovely. And is actually a great time for you to get pots established, so the roots are all grown in before it gets hot. I love to put pots up on pedestals or in an iron stand so you can tuck stuff under them. Lovely! Hope you can find a small treasure or two at the Show!
Laura–I’m sure I’ll find a whole treasure trove of great ideas at the SF Garden Show!!!
Fern, you have some great pots here! And plenty of room for many more, as well as a small table and chairs. You might have to forego the chaise, but if you put up a hammock, you can have lots of plants underneath.
I really love how you have trees in pots. I so want to do this but I am reluctant to do so because of the expense. I have commandeered the roommate’s mystery plant which is sort of tree like through. In reality it’s a pot bound shrub missing a great deal of its lower leaves. I cleaned out its dead wood, gave it some good food and soil and it rewarded me with a lovely arching shape, under which I have grouped my a great number of my own potted green kids.
One thing you might want to try with the nursery corner of the balcony: I cram the new plants together into a big empty pots then “artistically” arrange a bit of moss over the top to cover the fact I’ve not actually planted anything yet. This also works well in a pinch if you need instant color for say a party but don’t have time to plant. Some of my best combinations over the years have been the happy accidents which resulted from not thinking too much about what I placing together and discovering the unexpected beauty of a chance encounter.