Back when we lived in SF, we had a couple of planter boxes out on the side balcony. Originally a light well when the building was three apartments, the area became a tiny balcony that looked out and down into the neighbor’s yard when the house was converted back to a single family home. Since it was pretty much a wasted space as we had a large back garden, we bought some planter boxes and planted flowers and herbs.
After leaving the boxes with the house, I had to go up post-move with the pickup truck and remove them, as the owners decided they didn’t want them. The boxes were originally set back up outside the kitchen at Purgatory, but they made the area look cluttered and unkempt, so a few months ago Agent Smith and I moved them to the little nook outside the boys’ room. I’m happy to report now that, not only are the geraniums quite happy (it helps that I set the irrigation back in place), we have the added benefit of the boxes blocking light entering the lower windows early in the morning. This means if we remember to close the drapes between the boys’ space and the hallway area, we get to sleep until after 8am each morning.
Here’s a shot of the boxes at sunset with the cages visible in the room behind them. Once I plant more flowers in the left-hand box, it will be quite pretty. (Sadly the herbs were too delicate to survive the move and sudden change in temperature.)
