We've suddenly taken a jump from spring to "early summer", which inspired me to get my old plastic carpets up from winter storage in the basement, to once again be laid out on the floor of my balcony. That is a slightly bigger job than it might seem, as they can't just be laid out there, or the first gust of wind would soon turn them into flying carpets. So they have to be fastened in various ways to prevent that from happening. I have come up with a solution involving clothes-pins tied to the railing, plus my green bench parked on top of the inner one, plus a few pieces of duct tape... Every year I wonder how many more times I'll find it all worth while (the acrobatics involved not getting easier with age!) - but the thing is, the balcony floor is metallic, and when the summer sun gets hot, so does the floor (plus it reflects glaring light as well). But with the plastic carpets on top (old ones that my mum used to have in her kitchen), I can walk out there barefoot in summer if I like, and it also reduces both the glare and noises from moving my chair about etc.
I got two new parasols last year, and I have three "holders" for them on the railing that I can shift them between as the sun moves across the sky. (The balcony faces south-west.) I can only use the parasols when there is very little wind though, or else they turn inside out, or might even do a Mary Poppins and fly away...
Most of the time it's really either too hot, too cold or too windy, or too noisy to sit out there much. (18 balconies on the same side of the house, and a frequently used lawn beneath...) However, today I was able to sit there for a little while in the late afternoon and enjoy the "fruits of my labour" - listening to music in my wireless earphones. I decided to sign up for a cheap summer offer from Spotify again (three months for the cost of one), just for the convenience of it this time of year...
It looks like a lovely space to spend an early summer's afternoon at! With the 18 balconies facing south-west, I can imagine lots of people sitting out there (with the according noise) in the evenings to enjoy an al fresco meal after work and look at the sunset.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum's parasol needs watching, too; it is more sturdy (I think) than the ones you have so it won't flap over easily, but it is still prone to flapping in strong winds, and since her balcony is at the top of the house with no other floor above her, it tends to get windy up there.
Metallic floors for balconies? Doesn't sound like a good idea to me... as you say, it gets hot, it glares and it is noisy.
Meike, it can get very noisy indeed occasionally - like when small children get it into their head to jump up and down on them (probably enjoying the noise!) ...
DeleteI enjoy and have for many years seeing you transform your kitchen and your balcony for all the seasons and am amazed at how many plants you can grow in the small space and inside... its perfect and what a great idea for noise on the metal floor... I like this umbrella a lot,
ReplyDeleteSandra, I've just been to buy a couple of tomato plants and some geraniums today - and have ordered a bag of planting soil with my grocery delivery on Friday, as at least the tomato plants will need bigger pots to grow in...
DeleteIt's good to know that you can now get all your summer furniture and carpets out and enjoy sitting outside.
ReplyDeleteIt can be so windy up here that I have given up with parasols unless they are well tied up. Fortunately I do have three big awings, like shop blinds, which give a fair amount of shade in the afternoon when the sun comes round. There are terraces all round the house, so I have the benefit of shade when I need it, but the main sitting out areas face south and west, so can become very hot in the height of summer. It's pretty warm even now!
Carol, I've often wished I had one balcony on each side of my flat. No such luxuries where I live, though! (But my flat does stretch through the building, with rooms/windows on both sides, which is better than if all face the same way.)
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