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In December, Ryan and I moved into a two-bedroom apartment with a small balcony. We haven’t been able to truly take advantage of the balcony because of the Canadian weather. Over the May long weekend, however, I set everything up and have been enjoying sitting out here any time of day. We have space for a barbecue if we decide to get one, but for now we enjoy cooking in our little kitchen. I have a little tabletop propane grill that we can use if we really need to grill something, but I haven’t used it in three years, so we will hold off getting a big barbecue for now.
The photo above shows the north end of the balcony. There is space for our small balcony table, two chairs, and storage bench from Ikea, as well as space for my kitty! The outdoor rug is large and rugged, and something that we actually picked up, for free and in its original packaging, on the curbside. These outdoor rugs can be so expensive!
Here is the view looking toward the south end of the balcony. We are on the third floor, so we have quite a secluded, tree-house feel to our small balcony. The reclining zero-gravity chair is a great spot to relax in the dappled sunshine, listening to the songbirds and the leaves rustling in the wind. Our small balcony is shaded by a large American elm tree, and the birds love to eat the little papery seeds! Last weekend I saw a pair of cardinals, a few goldfinches, some house finches, and dozens of sparrows eating at our tree buffet!
I spent a few hours over the May long weekend planting our flower boxes and sowing some herbs from seeds. So far, we’ve got a pot of lavender; a pot of mixed rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano, and sage; a pot of tarragon; flower boxes with sweet alyssum, marigolds, snapdragons, and creeping jenny; a pot of morning glory; as well as a box where I sowed seeds for summer savoury, dill, and basil. I hope to use a lot of fresh herbs in my cooking this summer!
People often think you need a ton of space to make it personal and cozy. I’ve lived in small places and it is something when you can display your own personality and make it yours. Thanks for linking today.
Hi Meinhilde, Your balcony looks nice & it’s great to be up in the trees for the treehouse effect! Nice also that you have some great birds to watch! Blessings, Janet
I love that plant stand in the corner, it really lets you fit more into the space.
How inviting! I always though it a challenge to keep the small balcony neat and tidy despite flowerpots, tomatoplants, furniture, etc.. I’m so happy we’ve moved house and have a garden now, but I still can remember those days… Well done!
You really made it look nice! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend. Found your blog through the happiness is homemade link up 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
it’s a pretty balcony, I love those flowers! 🙂
I love this! Chris and I have limited space too so we have to take advantage of every square foot we have. Mostly just herbs right now haha. Thanks for the great ideas!
Stop on by my link party and share this with everyone : )
http://www.twentysomethinginthe2010s.com/peace-love-linkup-009/
Hope to see you there!
You’ve found a great way to organize and arrange the flower baskets so they aren’t overwhelming! I think it’s wonderful you have found a way to decorate a small space and make it very inviting.
Lovely! I am visiting from Coffee and Conversation. Have a wonderful week! 🙂
What an absolutely lovely balcony. It’s like a little bit of paradise. And the flowers you have planted are beautiful, just the right amount of color. Now that the weather had gotten better you’ll really be able to enjoy it. I also have a balcony but rarely go out because the wind is blowing so much these days. Hopefully, it will calm down soon. Thank you for providing us with sweet inspiration with your beautiful balcony.