"Mommy, I would so like to have a garden, a tiny, teeny-tiny one," the seven-year-old girl coos to her mother.
She helplessly shrugs her shoulders: "Where am I supposed to create a garden for you in the city?"
"There's a way, Mommy! After all, you can set up a garden on the balcony or in the window of even the most modest apartment..."
Wise words! Here is a handful of essential tips that will be useful to all those who love beauty and the world of flowers, and who, lacking their own garden, must content themselves with the sight of plants in the window or on the balcony.
Practical Tips
So let's get to work. First of all, we must consider what flowers we want to dress the window or balcony with, and here it would be helpful to coordinate the choice with other residents of the building, so that instead of an aesthetic decoration, we don't create clashing patches of color.
When arranging a balcony, think first of all about boxes, which should be as wide and deep as possible, to ensure the flowers proper development. The average width should be about 18 cm, and the height about 22 cm. The bottoms of the boxes must have openings of 1.5 — 2 cm in diameter, spaced every 25 cm.
They protect plants from rotting and allow drainage in case of prolonged rain.
Boxes should be painted light blue or white, colors that absorb less sunlight.
All boxes, regardless of their size, as well as those placed on the sunny side or partially shaded, regularly or irregularly, must never directly touch the floor of the balcony with their bottom — they should be raised to a height of about 2—3 cm to allow water drainage. By placing small boards or blocks under the bottom, we will facilitate water drainage from the boxes.
When Choosing Soil for Boxes
When choosing soil for balcony boxes, the best will be greenhouse soil mixed with turf soil. On the wooden bottom of the box, place a layer of finely crushed shards (from flower pots) or finely crushed brick. The condition and moisture of the soil from balcony boxes doesn't need to be checked constantly.
It's enough if we water their surface layer regularly and add fertilizer periodically.
Fashion magazines for the spring-summer season — page 46