A Florentine-inspired balcony

Tuscany, a land of contrasts and light, has seen the birth of many artists inspired by its special atmosphere. Do as they did, and let yourself be tempted by a colorful balcony!

The basic elements

Florentine balconies offer an explosion of shimmering colors, combining vertical plants that provide structure and a profusion of planters that are always opulent. Conifers, succulents and beautiful annuals will find their place in a clever arrangement for a very natural result.

Let's start with the basic structure: the indispensable Florence cypress will be installed in a corner of the balcony to give verticality to the whole. On the wall, a colorful climber will serve as a backdrop for the decor. Among the most popular plants, the bignone, which is covered with orange bells for many months, the jasmine with its bewitching perfume, the wisteria with its pastel colors or the bougainvillea, which should be reserved for well-sheltered areas. For a very Italian effect, don't neglect the quality of the containers; richly decorated pots will be perfect for hosting your plants and giving your balcony that typical touch.

Make way for opulence

Once structured, it's time to give your balcony a welcome touch of theatricality!

On the ground, a few balls of lavender will distill their powerful fragrance, alternating with beautiful pots of white and blue agapanthus to create a contrast of colors and textures. You can add a few large 'Schwarzkopf' aeoniums whose almost black foliage will bring an original shine to the whole.

On a small wrought iron table, a few pots of succulents will find a place in a large wicker basket or an old pewter basin recycled for the occasion: silver-leafed graptopetalums, houseleeks, echeverias, small aloes, crassulas and sedums will form a charming scene, alternating their astonishing blooms over a very long period.

Hanging planters on the balcony, always overloaded to achieve the desired effect, will need to be fixed properly to avoid causing danger. Choose them deep and large enough to be filled with a rich mixture of good potting soil and compost, a very fertile substrate that will allow you to obtain the exuberant result you are looking for.

You can then let yourself go to all the fantasies as long as the color is there! Don't forget a few ivy plants that will hang casually and serve as a base for the annual plants that will follow one another according to the seasons. The essential red ivy geraniums will accompany them brilliantly. Don't skimp on fertilizer to obtain a profusion of flowers and remember to cut back the wilted stems to induce the formation of new buds. Surfinas, bacopas, lobelias and silver baskets will add color to this scene, which is meant to be as exuberant as the character of our Italian friends that their balconies reflect so well.

Petunia or surfinia?

Petunias and surfinias are often confused in garden center labels. Are they really two different plants? What is the difference between them? Let's try to find out!

Petunia in all its states

The Petunia genus includes nearly 40 species of perennial or annual plants native to the prairies or rocky slopes of South America. A very popular plant with gardeners, the petunia comes in a multitude of cultivars with very specific characteristics. The 'Grandiflora', which as their name indicates, have flowers of more than 10 cm in diameter, the 'Milliflora' which have small single flowers, the 'Multiflora', bushy varieties covered with medium-sized flowers and the 'Surfinia' which have for main characteristic to be drooping.

The Surfinia is therefore a petunia, more exactly a variety of petunia.

Birth of the Surfinia

A scientist of the firm Suntory based in Japan went on a study trip to Brazil in 1989 for the realization of a viticultural project in this country. He was amazed by a Petunia inflata, a robust species growing naturally in the fields. He brought it back to Japan where Dr. Sagaki crossed it with other species to finally obtain a vigorous and drooping petunia that the marketing kings named 'Surfinia'.

How to recognize a surfinia from a classic petunia?

As we have seen, the Surfinia is a drooping petunia ideal for making beautiful hanging baskets. Very vigorous, it grows several centimeters per day during the growing season and can easily reach more than forty centimeters in length. The stems of the surfinias are thinner and more branched than those of the classic petunias. The color of the flowers, once limited to fuchsia pink or white, extends to purple, pale pink, red, lavender, dark blue and even yellow. There are also bicolored flowers.  The size of the flowers is comparable to that of the classic petunias. Other advantages are that surfinias are much more resistant to rain and that it is not necessary to cut off faded flowers because new ones grow back very quickly.

Maintenance of surfinia

Just like the classic petunia, the surfinia needs warmth and sun. Usually grown in hanging baskets or large jars, the surfinia needs very regular watering during the summer. Don't forget to add a 'Special flowering plants' fertilizer every 15 days to support the flowering. Around mid-August, if you notice that your plant is blooming less and that its stems are getting longer and thinner, prune your surfinia at 20 cm from its base. It will regain a new vigor.

Scented Pelargoniums

Very precious for their ease of cultivation and their long-lasting blooms, pelargoniums are also available in scented versions. A simple touch of the foliage becomes an enchantment...

Perennials with multiple assets

Scented Pelargoniums are easy to grow perennials that can be planted in the ground in all regions where the winter is mild. In beds, borders or pots, place your scented Pelargoniums not far from a busy place, they will exhale their delicate or frankly marked scents of hazelnut, mint, rose and even eucalyptus at the slightest contact with their foliage, which can also be ornamental. Very cut, variegated, hairy or even velvety, let your collector's soul sail among the many varieties! A sunny location is required for a long and opulent bloom.

Fruity notes

Pelargonium 'Lemon Fancy': clean green foliage, very cut and almost crisp, exhaling lemongrass fragrances. Beautiful pale pink flowers marked with fuchsia pink during long months. 50 cm height for as much spread.

Pelargonium 'Mabel Grey': very veined dark green foliage emitting a strong smell of lemon when crumpled. Single, light pink flowers with purple markings from May to October.

Pelargonium 'Scarlet Unique' : nicely serrated, green foliage with a delicate smell of freshly cut carrot. Very long-lasting bright red bloom (May to October). Variety with a spreading habit, 50 cm in all directions.

Pelargonium ionidiflorum: well-cut glabrous green foliage, with a delicate celery scent. Beautiful flowering beyond the foliage, bright pink flower well opened. A low growing species, ideal in a pot on a balcony.

Pelargonium odoratissimum : large rounded leaves, serrated at their edges, with a nice apple scent. The very fine white flowers literally cover the plant from May to the end of September. Forms beautiful clumps. Ideal in sunny beds.

Intense notes

Pelargonium tomentosum : magnificent green foliage, velvety and very soft to the touch, giving off a powerful mint scent. Small white flowers in bunches, few in number but present over a long period (May to October). Perennial species, robust, with the spread out port (90 cm of spread). Attention, it is not very rustic; in the cold areas a culture in pot is preferable.

Pelargonium 'Fragrans' : harmonious foliage with a strong pine scent, small cultivar ideal in pot (25 cm high). White flowers in bouquets from May to September. The variety 'Fragrans Variegatum' presents a beautiful variegated foliage of creamy white.

Pelargonium graveolens : medium green foliage, very cut and giving off a powerful smell of rose. Lilac colored flowers in bouquet from May to October. Not very hardy.

The wooden deck

What could be more pleasant than a wooden deck to take the time to live fully in your garden? Aesthetically pleasing and easy to install, it is an interesting option to extend the house and create a new living space when the weather is nice.

Contrary to popular belief, a wooden deck is easier to install than a paved or tiled deck. More aesthetic, ecological and integrated, it will blend in much better with the landscape.

Please note that a building permit must be requested for a surface greater than 20m².

Implementation

The location of the terrace depends on the level of sunlight you want, its ideal orientation will be south, southwest. You will then have the possibility to equip it with pergolas or micro perforated canvas in summer. Before building your terrace, take into account the trees in the neighborhood that could provide shade or lose their leaves and fruit and stain the wood permanently. Another important parameter is wind. Choose a protected area, such as between the corner of a wall and the house, to avoid having your deck swept away by the prevailing winds.

Don't forget that your deck should not interfere with your garden, but rather be integrated into it. To do this, install it on one side of the lot or next to the house rather than in the center to avoid the multiplication of small, unusable and unsightly surfaces.

The different structures

You can build your wood deck on various supports.

Often an unsightly concrete slab extends the house, you can exploit it by covering it with wood, thus creating a warm terrace. Simply attach joists directly to the slab, and screw the wood boards to it. It's a job that any good handyman can do, and it won't take you long to do.

If you start directly from the ground of your garden, the preparation of the structure must be careful to avoid future problems: plant concrete blocks every two meters, then spread a polymer wire to prevent the rise of water and the growth of weeds. You will fix the joists on these blocks, then perpendicularly wooden cleats on which the boards will be fixed. For high terraces or terraces on stilts, call in a professional.

The Wood

Exotic woods are ideal for this type of construction. Teak, although expensive, is a "must" for making a deck, it is solid, rot-proof and has its own beautiful characteristic color; ipe is also a brown wood that is very resistant to humidity, fungus and insects, and is a little less expensive. Padauk is currently very popular thanks to its properties and its beautiful coral red color. Its mechanical qualities allow for clip-on or screw-down installation.

All you have to do is make your choice and enjoy your new living space!

Evergreen planters

A planter, a decorative container all winter long, is best planted now, in September/October.

Pansies, cornuta, C anto® cyclamen and primroses are excellent for providing flowers... but it can become boring and flat month after month and year after year. Plus, these species don't dress up their containers!

You will find in your usual garden center evergreen plants proposed in 10 cm pots. These products are very interesting to compose your planter, to dress the front and to serve as a case and/or protection for flowering plants...

• A blue grass (Fescue or Koleria) to sit an orange cornuta or a Canto® cyclamen.
• A copper grass (Carex) to present a pansy or a pure blue cornuta.
• The silver and curry-scented Helichrysum italicum highlights, in particular, scarlet reds, but also all other bright colors.
• The various ornamental thymes, golden, variegated or silver, will dress up the front of the planter or container with a high density of foliage and form a cushion like a display for the flowering plant that will be placed in the background.
• It is the same with Ajuga, a little more vigorous or Lamium and Lysimachia numularia, whose vigor allows to go down to the bottom of the planter.

The variegated Vinca (periwinkle), the ivy and also the Lysimachia numularia, form long branches that give volume and movement to the whole composition.

Make your own wood deck

The wood deck has been a real craze for several years. It has gradually become the reference for landscaping around the house. Indeed, what better than wood to ensure a smooth transition between the house and the garden?

The wooden deck has many advantages :

• easy adaptation to different land configurations,
• a natural and relaxed look that adapts to all styles
• good value for money (the price of a wooden deck)
• Wood is a pleasant material to live with,
• wood is easy to work with,
• low maintenance,
• durability over time.

A simple construction

Depending on the case, the administrative formalities can be reduced or simply non-existent.

Moreover, a wooden deck is easy to build. It is a project within the reach of a beginner. However, the most important thing is to follow the rules of the trade because there are many mistakes made, whether the deck is installed by a beginner or an experienced handyman.

Because there are things that cannot be invented. A good source of information, complete and up-to-date documentation, is therefore a must.

Do the deck yourself

In an estimate for a professionally installed wood deck, the total price is the surface area of the deck multiplied by a flat rate per square meter. This price per m² depends on the complexity of the supporting structure. It includes the price of materials (structural wood, deck boards, fasteners, supplies, finishes, etc.) and the price of labor. The installer includes overhead, social charges and an additional margin. It's normal, he has to earn a living like everyone else. As a result, the price per m² may seem exaggerated at first. There is no exaggeration, but only the addition of very real costs.

By doing it yourself, the savings are very important. You can cut the bill in half and even save 60% or more.

Adopt the right structure

A wooden deck is composed of wooden slats, the decking, attached to a structure.

There are different types of structures depending on the nature of the land and the height:

• laying on concrete slab
• laying on PVC blocks
• laying on concrete blocks
• laying at ground level
• laying on beams

The choice of a type of structure depends on the nature of the ground supporting the wood deck and the height of the wood deck in relation to the natural ground.

It is essential to properly size the structure, otherwise the solidity and safety of the work will be compromised. On the other hand, an oversized structure represents an unnecessary extra cost of several hundred euros and will require much more effort during assembly.

Beware of the "ready-made" solutions offered by some merchants. They are not necessarily the best solution for you. For example, the dimensions and spacing of the joists depend on the section and mechanical characteristics of the deck boards. The dimensions of the beams and joists depend on the loads and spans to be crossed.

Wood decking and sustainable development

Of course, wood is a natural, non-toxic (if not treated), renewable material. At first glance, there is no greener building material.

But BE CAREFUL, choose a wood labeled FSC, if it is an exotic wood.

But the ideal is to use a local wood. Choosing a local wood, it is to support the local economic fabric. It means more jobs. Choosing a local wood is an incentive to exploit the forests, to maintain them, and therefore to promote their growth. For example, Robinia and Chestnut have an excellent resistance to xylophagous agents. Oak, Douglas fir and Larch can also be used with a few precautions.