Solar Toys

It all started with a couple of solar tiki torches more than a year ago which I really liked.  Those proved to be totally reliable - running on a two NiMh batteries and flickering way into morning hours - I love that yellow flickering light. After a rare impulsive buy I ended up with a crystal ball led light which changes color.  A good conversation piece for a late night symposium.

Then I added Crystal Ball String Lights.  Though hard to setup these are cute. Surprisingly they run on a single NiMh battery.  Not bright but I do not mind.
Recently I added spotlights.   A separate solar panel houses 3 NiMh batteries.  What I like least about these spotlights are blue light color and short wires - maybe I should use CTO gel?.
My experience with small solar toys powered by NiMh batteries was so positive I decided to get a battery-backed solar pump for my future water feature.  The fountain is very compact but sufficiently tall and is totally self-contained.  We shall see!

New Plants - Bamboo Incognito

Bamboo is a must-have for any Japanese garden.  Here is what I like about it:

• Upright and takes little floor space
• Beautiful foliage
• Dynamic - responds to movement of air
• Hopefully easy to grow and maintain.

On the left is the original plant I found through this free offer page.  I need help identifying this species.  It's a runner for sure.  On the right are the cuttings from the above plant planted on my balcony.

Bamboo Privacy Screen/Trellis

I am inspired by Zen garden ideas about importance of boundaries.  So as the first step in remodeling the southern balcony in Japanese style I built a bamboo trellis which doubles as a privacy screen.  I hope it will also help to fight the scorching heat while retaining the light breeze.
So here are the steps I took for this (not so) little DIY project:

You Growing What?

Just noticed there are unplanned plants in my container!  Power of life is amazing.  Also tells you how much stuff is in the air.
Note to self: that drip irrigation even on a south balcony is a powerful thing!

Harvest collected from a single 30" container.  So far this one is the only affected.

What kind of mushrooms are these?

New plants - Japanese maple, Juniper, etc.

I really really like the look of Japanese maple.  So much I saved on my phone this list of cultivars which can grow in a container.  And then, one of the days I was driving near my favorite big box store I noticed a parking lot sale.  That is Japanese maple sale.
In this container I have Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Tamukeyama' with a clump of Dwarf Mondo Grass Green (Ophiopogon japonicus 'nana') split in halves.  Probably I should have bought two of the grass mounds.  This container sits on the northern balcony near the edge of the building so it is hit by a morning sun.  Tamukeyama is believed to be the most sun resistant of all the Japanese maple dissectums.  I love to sit in the shade and just admire its intricate leaves.

Lessons Learned - Planters and Plant Stands

My balconies are made of wood.  And there are neighbors under.  Therefore I do not like the idea of having pots on the balcony floor.  Its makes hard to keep floors clean and neighbors would not appreciate water dripping from their balcony ceiling.
Therefore pots need saucers.  And stands.  So that I can use a leaf blower to clean the balcony in seconds.  Oh! And the saucers should come with drainage for water runoff.  Outside the balcony.  I still have not found yet an ideal combination of planter/saucer/water drain. 
Therefore I am trying to build one!

Lessons Learned - Plants

Time flies.  Here is an update on my plants an what I learned about them (and myself ;-)

The combination of mother-in-law's tongue and southern maidenhair fern described here was most elegant and pleasing.  My attempts to propagate Sansevieria failed.  I used moss ground cover to maintain moisture and I think it was a mistake.  By the end of the winter mother-in-law's tongue leaves just rotted at the bottom.  I found no place for fern so just I discarded it.  Yet I would love to redo this container when I have a chance.

Sago palm described in the same post hardly changed.  I do not care much for it and it does not exactly match my vision for the north balcony, but it just keeps going.  Albeit slowly.  Must be root-bound.

On to South-facing balcony.  I knew the plants will not survive unless I automate watering.  All planters were hooked to a drip irrigation system connected to tap via timer. Most of the emitters are of micro-bubbler type. Watering was done every 3 days in summer and every 6 days in winter for 5 minutes at a time.  In retrospect, I should have been watering plants daily in summer.  Besides I forgot to change the schedule in spring and lost few plants.

Jade. Dwarf Jade Too.

Here are some cuttings I've got from neighbor's Jade (Crassula Ovata).  Oh, I did get permission to get those.   I let cuttings dry for few days.  Today I tossed cuttings and the leaves I removed from them into small pots with the same growth media I use for all plants.  I used bamboo skewers to fix the cuttings in vertical position.  I also watered the pots.  Let's see what happens - I will give an update in a couple of months.
Dwarf Jade (Portulacaria afra) sounds even more interesting!  Faster growth while being more robust!  And a common bonsai for beginners!  I ordered myself one.
I think both should look good in the cubicle.  Can they handle low light?  I doubt it.  Before I forgot, here are few links to cubicle plants:  10 Air Purifying Plants For Homes & Offices, How to Grow Your Own Fresh Air.

Plant Stands, More Planters and Plants

Here is what happened on my southern balcony in the last couple of months...  I added three planters and put (almost) all of them on the stands!

Planters

I've got new planters!  Large IKEA HUSON planter, small IKEA HUSON planter, and a large rectangular planter.   Let's have a closer look at every planter...

First Iteration

For my first iteration I decided to focus on water-wise plants, both perennials and annuals.
Here is the arrangement of planters and the furniture on the balcony.  Big planters host vine which I will train on the railing.

Planters

I decided to stick with plastic planters.  Clay planters are too heavy and do not hold moisture nearly as well as plastic.  They do allow plants to breath and water evaporation may cool the plant in summer.  Nevertheless, the thought of hauling clay planter to the 3rd floor (did I mention I have no elevator?)  was for me enough to reject this idea.  I found that Lowes offers the best selection of plastic planters.  I also used Amazon.

Location, Location, Location

Here is where it all will be happening!