10 - balcony revamp

Too many small pots!

Before

 When Puck had manouvered herself head-first between the hosta and viburnum and couldn't turn herself around to get out, instead had to back up like a great lumbering truck, I decided some changes had to be made.

Revamping the balcony.

When I did a quick count, there were 50 pots. Fifty! On 3x4m. Some of the large plants would have to go, I regretfully needed to find a home for my silver leaved lemony Buddleia and Fatsia japonica, as they were simply too large after 4 years. And the others, well, to create walking space I would clump them all into groups. Easy peasy. Garden Rescue has nothing on me. (I could just see them: 5 burly hunks lugging up new decking, and Charley, David and Harry joking around and generally looking gorgeous)

After

 So I did some research and compared prices, and man does it make a difference if you order directly from the manufacturer. I saved myself €80 there. Online buying is not my thing, being the horse-and-cart type, but in this case...hurray!

 I bought 3 large Elho planters (they recycle plastics, so have my seal of approval) 80x33x39cm and as soon as they arrived started work.

Now, you try emptying 42 pots in a space where you can not walk, or move really. So this took some planning: first move everything towards the doors, then clean the railing windows (two birds, etc), then take a new planter, and group the plants according to soil preference and height. And repeat. Puck 'helped' by constantly getting in the way.

It took me 8 hours. Honestly. Now I know why GR shows up with a small army. Getting a Euonymus out of its old pot took 30 minutes and I had to resort to using my largest kitchen knife, the one I never use but keep for visiting burglars. Although I plunked it in a bucket of water immediately, it is still looking somewhat shocked by the treatment today.

But it was worth it. Instead of 50 pots I now only have 30. Yeah, yeah, don't you scoff, at least Puck and I can dance on the balcony again, and it sits 3 comfortably. The plants have all recovered from their repotting ordeal and are looking gorgeous. Just in time for our Dutch heatwave. Today it will be 30, tomorrow perhaps as high as 35 degrees (add 10 for my balcony! )And then enormous thunderstorms and a plummet to 20 tops. Typical.

You can see many more photos on my Instagram @songsmith2962 and there are 2 new canvases on @grashoffr

Have a good day!