Senior Moments - The Campbellford Seniors Club Newsletter Issue #22: April - June 2017 | Page 11

information & news
over-watering. Putting saucers
under drainage holes prevents
water from running onto your patio
and from spilling down off your
balcony.
Buy potting soil that’s particularly
suited to the plants you will be
growing. An all-purpose mix will be
sufficient for most plants, but note
that succulents and other specialty
plants will need a different mix.
Start your plants off right and they
will thank you with healthy foliage
and blooms.
Furniture
What do you want to be able to
do in your new garden oasis? If it’s
just a place to grow some herbs or
flowers to cut and bring in the house,
you may not need any furniture
on your balcony. But a little bistro
table with a couple chairs makes
a great spot for coffee, croissants,
and a crossword. Or maybe you
want a space to entertain outdoors
and therefore require a larger
seating area or full-blown dining
table. It’s probably a good idea to
consider how you want to use the
space and the furniture you’ll need
so you can work the plants around
these larger structures.
Vary Placement
Probably the most obvious place
to put containers of plants is the
floor of your balcony. But varying
height gives you more “space” to
put plants and also adds a hefty
dose of interest, enabling you to
create the feel of an enveloping
garden. Window boxes hung from
railings, cascading hanging plants
hung from the ceiling or from tall
stands, and even planters made to
hang on walls can really take your
balcony garden to the next level.
_______________________________
“You cannot plough a field by
turning it over in your mind.”
- Author Unknown
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