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An older lady who lives in my apartment building, her name is Dora. She lived in apartment 12 (the one I am in) previously, and now lives in the same building down in apartment 2. Her balcony is on the lowest level facing the front of the building so occasionally I'll have a conversation with her as she is sitting outside. It turns out that she goes to the same church as I do, so I have seen her there too. This gives us something more to talk about.

I was passing by earlier this week and she suggested I flower up my balcony as hers is deftly flowered up. I haven't much of a budget for such, but I did find at my local grocery this:

I ended up getting two of them:

The yellow rope that you see adjacent to them is where I hang my laundry to dry from late Spring to early Fall.

The two containers came with the flowers and were 20$ each; so that's all I'll be doing this year. I've counted five different flower types in the railing pots; each of the two pots have the same five flower selection. I am assuming that these are not even close to be Zone 3 plants and so they will all pass once the fall comes. So, what to do next year?

Within easy walking distance I do not have access to a store where I could by 'flats' of flowers that I could just re-pot into these railing pots; though, I could probably arrange for a lift from a family or friend to meet me at a store where I have purchased them so they can drive me home.

Alternatively, I see if I can find the seeds for either those same five types, or, five new types, or, ten new types having each of the two pots have a different selection. Then I can germinate these seeds given the correct lead time to then plant them myself once the weather is warm enough next Spring.

In addition to re-flowering the two railing pots, next Spring I would consider adding to my balcony one or two pots that have plants that grow taller and have them in pots that simply sit on the balcony floor.

I have two additional thoughts about the use of this balcony. One is to have a bird bath of some sort, just to see if I can get birds to come and check my balcony out.

The second; I have a book on 'Self Watering Containers' for vegetable growing. Perhaps I will see if I can grow some vegetables on my balcony. I am not certain what I would grow, but this could be something else I do.