My Balcony Garden

I do love my apartment but I wish the balcony was larger.  It's crescent shaped, wider in the center than at the ends.  I only put a few flowers in the center part now and prefer to put the majority of the flowers in front of the patio doors.  This way i can see them all the time when I'm sitting in my chair and watching T.V. or Swedish weaving.

It's a good thing I don't put plants at the far end because the sparrows have built a nest there.  It's cute to see how much of my asparagus fern they used for the nest.  I'd hoped the Momma sparrow would keep the damned squirrel away but I've seen him twice now.  I haven't seen any dug out plants, though, since I stuck some forks into them.  Maybe he'll go somewhere else...I certainly hope so!

My niece's husband asked me if I miss all the gardens I had at my house and I honestly don't.  It had gradually become too much for me to do the planting and weeding so my little balcony garden suits me just fine.  I've learned what flourishes out there and tend to stick to pretty much the same plants each year, maybe changing the color.

I can't imagine how it would be to live out a Canadian summer with no live flowers to look at.  When I see desert areas on T.V. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a climate like that, either.  I've had the best of home and Florida for the past 20 years where I could enjoy planting almost all year long.  When that time ends, I'll settle for a few more house plants.  Right now I have 3 African violets, 1 large orchid, and 2 mini orchids as house plants.  They winter with Kim and Cindy.  The orchids are blooming beautifully and the African violets should flower soon.

My home is very eclectic because I've surrounded myself with things I enjoy and not tried to follow a single theme.  I have Chinese vases, carnival glass, my treasured Scandinavian teak end tables, leather sofa and chair, flower photos on the walls, and lots of color everywhere.  I'm very pleased to say the only place there is clutter is on my computer desk.  That has taken a while to accomplish but mainly took place when I moved into the apartment.  I was determined not to load myself down with too much stuff.  

My crafts did get a little out of hand but now, with my lovely new shelving, all is neatly stored and mostly out of sight.  Now I can rest and enjoy!