My Great Outdoors: Anna-Lyssa's Lovely Balcony

Name: Anna-Lyssa

Location: Montreal

Type of space: Balcony

Tell us about your outdoor project and how you enjoy it: I love my little balcony so much, I can't even express it. First of all, even when it was still freezing here, we were already using it as our "breakfast room" in the morning, we just bundled up really well in coats and hats and blankets...

Now I spend as much time there as inside, eating meals, having coffee, or drinks, reading, training the dog not to bark at other dogs...

Also, I find that spending time listening to the birds, feeling the sun on my shoulders, gazing at the plants and taking care of them, creates such a feeling of peace and well-being, I can't imagine what I'll do in the winter again!

How did you create it?:
I started getting plants and hanging pots pretty early in the spring and slowly added more and more plants. I found the wrought iron chairs at a garage sale in the fall. After much searching I finally found the table on Craigslist and promptly had dinner on it with my Dad. Best dinner ever.

Recommended store, site, product or resource?
The Mont Royal metro open market for plants - it's open 24 hours :)

See all Reader My Great Outdoors submissions here

Comments (18)

Love the table!

posted by Star Princess on June 15th 2009 at 8:42pm
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I don't blame you for spending as much time as possible out there; this balcony is something special. The table and chairs, the delicate metal railing, the tree branch arching alongside... it's all perfect. Lucky girl!

posted by tequila red on June 15th 2009 at 8:59pm
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Everything looks beautiful.

posted by wig3000 on June 15th 2009 at 9:12pm
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Is that Mont-Royal plant shop really open 24 hours? I always wondered about it's hours since it never seemed to close. Love that place!

You've totally inspired my own patio!

posted by christine_z on June 15th 2009 at 9:23pm
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Hot damn!

posted by jendavid1000 on June 15th 2009 at 10:03pm
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So sweet. And I love the way you staged the photos with the book and dinner for two. Charming.

posted by sally305 on June 15th 2009 at 10:04pm
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That looks just about perfect...what a wonderful place for a coffee on a quiet morning.

posted by cde on June 16th 2009 at 1:33am
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OMG, I love it. This should be what you see when you look up the word "balcony" in the dictionary!

posted by idontdobeige on June 16th 2009 at 4:43am
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Absolutely fabulous!

posted by ChrisToronto on June 16th 2009 at 8:00am
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I love the little candle fixture on the table, perfect for a romantic dinner outside!

posted by allicoop86 on June 16th 2009 at 8:26am
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Thanks so much!
Yeah the tree is pretty great. Here is a dismal before photo in the early spring:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36763551@N05/3473410971/in/set-72157615862825327/

Oh and it's not staged, it's not staged! I was really sitting there reading the other morning and I thought to myself "This is my great outdoors" and got the camera.

Christine, yes ma'am 24 hours. I mean what else are you going to do at 3:00am on the walk home? That's right.... buy a begonia.

posted by annalyssa on June 16th 2009 at 8:32am
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It's lovely - makes me want to get a glass of wine and sit.

posted by NYKate on June 16th 2009 at 8:49am
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bea-u-ti-ful!
& some of us already knew that that wasn't staged!
a 24 hr plant store? I'd be a junkie creeping out in the night with my coat over my nightie getting just one more...

posted by Chloe C on June 16th 2009 at 9:42am
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I'm in love!

The tree in front of your place really adds to it as well. You lucky lucky girl. Lovely job.

posted by Jen C on June 16th 2009 at 1:21pm
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I was going to gush over the balcony and the plants but you really blew me away with that photo of the pasta!!!

posted by sassydo on June 16th 2009 at 6:29pm
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I think I just squealed! Your balcony is too cute.

posted by snoopy on June 16th 2009 at 8:08pm
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I loved seeing the progress on flickr. Congrats on the beautiful space!

posted by solbeam on June 17th 2009 at 9:03am
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Oh, I didn't mean "staged" in a bad way at all. The shots are just all so nicely composed and I love how you show the space being used different ways.

posted by sally305 on June 17th 2009 at 10:22pm
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