Apartment Living: My Balcony Garden

Forum: Apartment Living Replies: 5, Views: 48 Print -

Author Content tonyw44 Bethesda, MD July 10, 2008 9:25 AM Post #5234678 I have been dabbling with growing things for quite some time. But now I'm trying to grow perennials so that I don't have to replant every year. Here is what I have growing on my 40 square foot balcony. In pots: Dwarf crape myrtle, with mountain brauni as ground cover around the tree Dwarf Japanese maple, with ornamental grass as ground cover around the tree Azalea Soon to come will be a dwarf camellia once I finish composting enough food waste In window boxes: Columbine Strawberry Mountain brauni Coral bells Double Grecian rose I'm trying to make my balcony a little oasis of green. So far the columbine are growing just fine but many of them are not blooming, and I want to accelerate their growth so they fill up the box. Is this realistic or something I will just have to wait until next year to see? Any comments on what I have and its suitability for a balcony that receives about four hours of morning sun would be very much appreciated! Just to give you more information, the plants that have survived multiple winters are the crape myrtle and the mountain brauni. The rest of them are new this year. Countrymom Cuyahoga Falls, OH (Zone 5a) July 10, 2008 10:45 AM Post #5235147 Hi Tonyw44 - This is my first year in an apartment. I was interested in keeping perennials on my balcony too. I began a thread in the spring, and this is a link to it. [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com] I got a lot of great ideas to winter over the perennials that I love. verdee toronto, ON July 18, 2008 8:19 AM Post #5278647 Hi Tonyw44, I'm in an apartment with a balcony, in Toronto, zone 5. Would love to see photos of your balcony. I wintered a tamarisk tree, about 4 ft, in a pot this winter and it survived nicely. However I discovered I didn't like the colour of the flowers, pink, so gave it away. Will try a cutting from my sister's purple flowered tamarisk this year. Hens and chicks, and creeping thyme will survive our winters in pots. verdee khatsmile Pittsburgh (United States) July 25, 2008 6:29 AM Post #5316730 Hi all.. just wanna share this to all..i also have my balcony in my apartment..and my balcony garden allows me without "acreage" to enjoy gardening, although on a different level. With a little alteration, everybody can have their own bit of green, no matter where you call home. Click the image for an enlarged view. Countrymom Cuyahoga Falls, OH (Zone 5a) July 25, 2008 7:51 AM Post #5316908 khatsmile - I love your balcony ! It looks like a sourthern front porch ! What floor are you on ? Do you have more pictures of your plants ? jamtjoy Lake Havasu City, AZ (Zone 11) July 28, 2008 1:59 PM Post #5333039 hi tony! although i live in the southwest and will have to plant different stuff than you, i hope to acquire a bit of an oasis of green of my own on my balcony. wow khatsmile! your balcony is gorgeous! although i see you are in pa. (where i use to live, in the levittown area/outside philly) and realize you have some different climate and planting possibilities you are dealing with-i hope to have something similar (in beauty) to what you have, out here in the southwest on my ugly wrought iron railing balcony :0)

You cannot post until you register, login and subscribe.

Other Apartment Living Threads you might be interested in:

Subject Thread Starter Replies Last Post Spruce Up My Kitchen kanita 9 Jun 18, 2008 11:43 PM Been here too long revclaus 25 May 28, 2008 8:36 PM Apartment clutter cluttermaster 6 May 8, 2007 10:58 AM Thumbtack Decorating Stinkerweed 6 Aug 7, 2007 8:44 PM Growing plants in containers. dave963 7 Apr 23, 2008 4:31 PM