Friday, June 15, 2007

Italian Balconies

A few years back, I took a week-long trip to Italy with two girlfriends. I ate pizza (sold by the pound or served as individual large-ish pies) and gelato every day. I walked off my gastronomic vices through visits to gardens and by making my way through each city by foot.

One image that still sticks with me is the approach Italians took with regards to their small balcony gardens. In essence, they treated their balconies like a larger version of a window box. Stuffed to the gills with geraniums, petunias and the like. Old Italian, cobblestone streets had tons of these 'window boxes' overlooking the gelato-eating crowds sauntering below.

Once house construction is through, we are going to have two small balconies outside of the second story bedrooms - one will be South-facing. I've got big plans, BIG plans for that particular balcony. I guess you could say, my own Little Italy, of sorts.

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This photo was taken in Taormino, Sicily.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been DREAMING over pictures of window boxes in European cities and wondering how do they stuff so much plant material into such small spaces without killing everything and then that accomplished, what sort of contraptions do they use for watering containers that are just out of reach...they are SO worth the effort!

Tracey said...

I'm still stumped! The watering and feeding alone would be a monumental task - especially if each container is kinda small (as I am learning on my own 'balcony').

They do make very cool watering wands - something to think about for 'higher' spots.