SOW IT GROWS

OVER THE last decade the
North Shore skyline has
changed dramatically. The
Lonsdale corridor, Park
Royal and the West.
Vancouver waterfront area
have sprouted highrise build-
ings with the speed of an
asparagus patch.

With the price of land continuing
to increase, more and more people
are choosing to live in highrise
buildings. ;

_ .. Unfortunately, this tifestyle
restricts people’s contact with the
world of plants and makes garden-
ing a challenge. For those of you
who live in buildings without gar-
den space but still want to use your
green thumb, here are a few ideas.

Each balcony has a micro cli- .
mate of its own depending on the

_ direction it is facing, how many -
floors above the ground it is and
whether a portion or all of the area |
is enclosed. , , :

FRENCH DOOR

e, attentio

Pots shouid be used within boxes or in groupings

~ Abalcony on the south side may
have heat and light exposure that is
extrenie, Whereas on the north side
it could be cool and windy a good
portion of the day.

On a normal day when there is a
10 km per hour breeze at ground *
level, the balcony on the 13th floor
may be experiencing winds as. .
strong as 25 to 30 km per hour.

The idea of glassing in a balcony
for greater seasonal use is very pop-
ular, but summer temperatures can
reach 400°C or higher in an

enclosed space.

Plants.on balconies with an east-
ern exposure may not Jiave sun all
day, but the morning sun they
receive dries and warms them and
gets them actively growing as soon
as daylight arrives.

People have a natural tendency
to collect potted plants to create a
garden on their balcony area. To
avoid a cluttered look with lots of
pots it is advisable to have a few
large attractive planters or planter
boxes with a variety of plants in
them.

If you want to keep the plants
separated in their own containers,
load the planter box with the coliec-
tion of pots and fill the extra space
with volcanic gravel or green moss.
The small pots can be raised with
blocks so all the plants appear to be
growing at the sume Icvel.

Another method of displaying a
variety of pots is by placing them in
a group using three or five pots. The
largest should be at the back of the
display with others clustered
around. :
~ If necessary, place a block under
the back one to achieve additional
height. Hopefully, the foliage and
flowers of all the pots will blend in
with each other and the pots will be
hidden. :

Paving altention to the color

scheme can give the balcony garden

ez |
see

INTERIOR
AnD .

EXTERIOR
HUGE SELECTION

soar Bar rom @ Pt

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PRICED TO

ATSKI

‘QUANTITIES LIMITED.

VANCOUVER KORTH VAN RICHMOND NANAING
1366 S.WW. Marine Gr. = 1380 Pemberton = 5431 Minoru Blvd = 3043 Barons Rd
| 26-1901 SBS-9716 278-6829 752-7375

a dramatic look. You may wish to
try asingle color such as pink and
then vary the shades or use a combi-
nation of white, pink and/or red.

+ Sharp contrasts can also make i
statement, particularly when white
is used with deep purple, red or dark
blue. On a cool balcony try to use
same of the warmer colors such as
yellow, orange or bronze.

Hauling potting soil up to the
20th floor is never convenient but
your success in gardening will be
determined by your growing medi-
um. You can grow flowers in soil a
second year with some amend-
ments, but most soil will be deplet-

‘ ed of its nutrients fairly quickly.

Conversely, soilcan become *
overloaded with unused fertilizer
salts that accumulate around the
drain holes, on the soil surface and
around the rim of the pot. These salt
crystals should be scraped off along
with the top one-inch layer of soil
and then replaced with fresh materi-
al.

If you don’t wish to replace the
soil each year then dig out a third of

See Plants page 1? . but should be well planned. -

Wall System
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STANDARD LEGEND

UNIVERSAL.

UNITED LANDSCAPE
/SUPPLIES 929-4111
i Riverside Drive N.Van. 929-4555

PROLLY ts TUReAN

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NEWS phota Cindy Good

15

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BALCONY GARDENING can be done using pots and planters,