Name: Kathy Andrews
Location: Berlin, Germany
Type of space: Balcony
Tell us about your outdoor project and how you enjoy it: We live in a beautiful loft built in a protected building in Berlin. It was first the Telefunken Factory, where radios were made, then the barracks for the American troops during the occupation of Berlin after WW II. We love living here and especially the big (for Berlin standards) balcony on the western side of our loft. The sun shines on us after we come home from work in the late afternoons and we love sitting outside. The birds that live in the park sing in the evening and it's so peaceful to listen to them. We eat breakfast in the mornings, have drinks with friends on Friday afternoons and eat dinner outside whenever the weather is nice enough. I am outside reading all the time and even cruise the internet (checking out the new posts on Apartment Therapy!) while sitting on the balcony...
How did you create it? The design of the balcony is very modern and we are restricted from having window boxes or attaching anything to the building or railing because it's a national monument. It's 2 meters deep and 5 meters long. I love to garden and miss having a yard so I have made my garden in Berlin in this space using containers, stained and natural wooden furniture and fabric. The colors of the flowers are taken from the French fabric we bought on one of our trips to France. All of the plants are in pots — some of them very big pots! We have four David Austin English roses that are the backbone of the garden. These are very hardy and bloom all summer. Two of them are climbers so they will provide privacy and color above eye level as they grow. My favorites are Graham Thomas and Lilian Austin (the one in the photo). Some of the containers have perennials in them — hosta and astillbe, coral bells and a peony. Combined with the roses, I have to buy only a few annuals every year. I always get yellow begonias and blue campanuala. Around the base of the roses, I've planted lady's mantel and ivy to keep in the moisture and provide a green base. This year, I decided to plant two low terracotta pots of flowers and place them under the bench for color at that end of the balcony. I love how the flowers spill out from under the bench. The pots, too, are the blue and terracotta in the fabric. I stained the furniture using deep blue acrylic paint mixed with clear waterproof stain applied with an old sponge. The dishes are from San Gimignano, Italy and the deep blue glasses from Georgetown in D.C. We collect things from all the places we have lived and traveled and love using them every day.
Recommended store, site, product or resource? • David Austin Roses • Fabric from Provence
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beautiful harmony of color burst and I like the light glow on the patio later in the day.
view LoriSF's profile
I LOVE this! Kathy, if you're reading, are you able to leave the pots out all winter, or do you have to recreate this garden every year?
We have a huge balcony, too, but we're in Boston, and nothing seems hardy enough to come back each year. I wish we could have something like this!
view sfumato's profile
All the plant colors and those incredible linens make your patio look just wonderful! Great job.
view baileyb's profile
I love all the color!
view caskull's profile
This is just gorgeous!
view sassydo's profile
i also want to know what happens in the winter. this is lovely!
view laura123's profile
Kathy, two comments: a) what an amazing garden! b) I'll be in Berlin on a Fulbright Jan-July 2010... any more apartments avail. in your building, or anyone looking for a subletter? (me, husband, two cute kids)
view walkin_yesindeed's profile
Colourful! I enjoyed reading of how much pleasure you get from your space.
view hrhprincessfiona's profile
I love the table (I assume that is it in its expanded form under that table cloth). What a perfect space saver! Could you tell us the source! Great garden!
view Sarah1083's profile
Hi everybody and thanks for the kind and lovely comments!
To answer the question from sfumato and laura 123
The pots that the roses are in are huge - at least 28" across and 28" deep so they dirt doesn't really freeze. I also only choose perennials to put out that are hardy to at least one zone colder than mine. I move the pots in close to the building and put the smallest ones right up next to it so they are sheltered. I have a friend who wraps her pots in burlap and mulches the tops and she has great success. I just can't be bothered. It only gets to -5 here (at least the 2 winters we've been here) so it isn't that cold.
Sarah1083, I bought the table here in Germany and I've looked on the net and can't find one like it to link a site for you. I just happened to see it and grabbed it one day in the shop and I've not seen one like it before. The name on the table is Saigon - maybe that would help. But I don't have a manufacturer.
walkin_yesindeed - Apartments in the building...don't know about that. Look up "Loftland" and you will find the web site that will link you to the estate agent who might be able to help. But to find flats in Berlin check out
www.immoscout.de. It's a great site for all property! Have fun!
view ka424's profile
What a lovely collection of colorful flowers. Everything looks so healthy and well cared for. The table set up is wonderful...and a nice size. You have a good sized balcony. It must be a joy to sit out there and enjoy a meal.
view junklover's profile
When I saw your balcony I couldn't help thinking: there goes my sister! Not only that you created a lush space, but you also enjoy it a lot. I smiled seeing that you know when the sun reaches your garden. Many have no idea. Good luck growing your babies!
view gorgeoux's profile