apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I can sometimes be heard refering to my fire escape as "the balcony"

What timing! I just spent two days weeding, clearing, re-arranging and washing down everything in my little backyard (roughly 10x20), including the window and sliding glass door, blinds and curtains that that open to that space. Sore muscles and sunburned shoulders (forgot to apply sunscreen!) but looking out is nice, and sitting out there with my feet up and a glass of wine is even nicer!

it's the first time i've ever had any outside space to call my own. i really need to buy some small patio furniture so my bf and i can enjoy it.

i can't wait to see the types of privacy screens people come up with (so that our nosey neighbors) can't see us shy folks sunbathing.

also, does anyone have any ideas on making a deck "kitty safe"?

I have a tiny-teeny balcon, mostly used to hang laundry (no dryer) but in this period it looks better thanks to a few pots of plants (mostly herbs).
Here you can have a look:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98598827@N00/527540066/

I live in a walk-up one bedroom apartment, however, there is some green space around it, and since no one else uses it, I've taken over. In addition to the back tiny deck that actually is mine, I've put plants all over the front porch that all the tenants share, and just this weekend planted herbs and butterfly attracters in the small front yard, and established a DIY container compost pile behind a bush in the back. I also put four chairs and a little table under the tree in the back yard that all the residents are welcome to use. Next I'm putting in a small vegetable garden near the seating area.

I have a yard, but I think "yard" makes it seem a bit grander than it is. We call it the "yardette." It's nice, and I've tried to make it prettier by planting some plants around (hostas, a fern, astilbe, daylilies, irises, herbs, vinca and ivy), but I'm struggling with what to put down in the area where we have two little chairs and a table.

It's under a tree, so there are dense roots at the surface. We have a little brick walkway, so a bricked patio would make sense, but I don't know what to do about the roots and we rent, so that seems like a big commitment. Grass doesn't really grow very well there (it's very shaded) and we don't want to deal with mowing an area of about 5' by 7'. We're debating between laying down some gravel (our landlord has ok-ed it) or putting down mulch. Mulch is cheaper and easier but we'll run into problems with raking leaves in the fall and also it doesn't give much of a boundary between the planted area and the sitting area. Gravel is more stable, but we'd have to contain it, and it's more expensive.

Any thoughts?

Oh, also, in the warmer months I keep my vermicompost bin in the yardette.

Bittersweet-- what's your DIY container compost like?

ah, i just moved out of an apartment with outdoor space to one without-- and i'm feeling very, very landlocked. now i'm in a 15-year-old box on the 5th floor, looking out over the busy street...is there anything all of you can think of that will help my transition? or make me feel a little less locked in the concrete jungle? thank you!!

i have a backyard!

ok, it's a TINY 4x5foot balcony in chelsea.. but i lovingly call it my 'backyard'.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1386/530368604_51474ca716.jpg

rolled out the ironic astroturf and planted some actual seeds (to test if i can grow anything..) and i also semi-wrapped the rails with a bamboo mat so i can comfortably pass out while reading a book without my neighbors watching me...

i really use it as an extension of my apartment and go out there several times a day..

I just finished planting a dozen container gardens on my patio and deck in Brooklyn. We had our first dinner party out there on Saturday night. I love this time of year and spend as much time as I can out there before it gets too hot, sticky and blasted by bad salsa music.

v in boston - go with the mulch. It's quiter, softer and good for the earth. Plus it's so cheap, you can rake it up with the leaves and replace it the next spring. Home Depot has some inexpensive garden edging to help define the areas.

I consider myself really lucky to have a small terrace off my living room. I use it mostly to eat dinner and just sit. It isnt really quiet but it is peaceful none the less. I find that weeding and planting very destressing as well.

You can see pics http://flickr.com/photos/lisanyc/397285798/in/set-72157594547681046/

unfortunately, these are last springs pics as i am just completed a major renovation/addition for the rest of the apartment and havent really had time to fix it up this spring...and the hardy bamboo wasnt so hardy afterall.

I agree, great timing for this theme. One of the reason's we bought our apartment was because of the wonderful terrace space. Unfortunately, when we bought it it was mostly being used as a junkyard:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/armchairathlete/165202214/in/set-72157594155881259/

Later I'll be sending along an "after" shot of how it looks now - still aways to go, but at least the junk is gone.

Oh, I have to laugh. My sore muscles and sunburn are finally fading, and there's a storm moving in! (I'm in Central California) I should have known, but didn't realize what the date was... in the 9 1/2 years I've lived in this town, there's been ONE high school graduation when the weather was actually warm. Every other year has been low 60's with nearly gale force winds... guess what tomorrow is?? ;->> No sitting out for me for a few days!

I recently moved from an apartment on 4 acres in rural Hunterdon County to a larger apartment with terrace in a high rise building in downtown Trenton. Giving up the small garden surrounding my front door in the country for a 5th floor terrace was a shock, but I've managed. My potted roses survived the transition and are thriving and my window boxes were adapted to the balcony windowsils.

The real escape valve however is weekly visits to relatives in Rockland and Westchester counties. I get a regular dose of the country and the opportunity to garden part-time.

i have a sort of fire escape.