[Part 2 of 2. Previous post: revisiting last summer's balcony garden + full plant list].
I’d made wild and determined promises about growing the most gorgeous balcony garden last summer. It wasn’t. Certainly I loved it, but it wasn’t categorically Best In Show.
Learned? A lot.
- Growing from seed: we grew 18 things on the balcony plant list from seed (or bulb).
- Name recognition & pest patrol: I must know a hundred more plant names, and can better fend off an aphid or whitefly attack (with a ready spray bottle of Dr. Bronners & veggie oil).
- Compost success: Another boon was the worm compost! The first time we’ve had ready supplies to dish out through the growing season. Happiest hosta I ever saw.
- Fully kitted out: We also built a potting bench and then a cold frame – better realizing what our plants would need.
- Cuttings: We’re getting better at taking cuttings, too. Last year we tried to propagate our scented geraniums and fuchsia. By November we had a big tub of mould and death. Fairly certain we’ll have better success this year.
This year’s balcony garden plan: The 2011 experiment has given me better ideas for staging & selling time – while enjoying the balcony for as long as we live here.
1. A few pots, a few very attractive pots will be magic. (Something we might need to save up for – higher quality pots. The bargain-bin Home Depot black plastic ones… the love’s wearing thin).
2. Does it smell nice? I wonder how much the Westin spends to churn out their “nice white smell” into hotels all over. Gazillions, surely. What IF our balcony smelled that good? Honey-scented alyssums were a happy accident staying totally true to their name.
3. Magic number? I’ve heard it’s best to grow things in threes? More versions of the same plant, with less total variety?
4. Trailing things, tall things, green things. This year, I definitely need more trailing things (to disguise my ugly pots) – as well as to plan out better height. A better coordination of colour, as well as different shades of green. It was very lush, but all the same shade of green. Commit to memory: consider better height, leaf texture & scent.
5. Avoid heavy plant pots - they suck to move. Don’t grow a jungle – but try to learn just as much again!
Lots more books to read in the mean time. For a good primer & planting reference, I really recommend McGee & Stuckey’s Bountiful Container. Would anyone really notice if I just chucked a half dozen orchids on the patio table for a lying piece of open house deceit? Maybe if it’s still snowing outside….
Hey, you want a s'more? Some more of what?
