Sunday, February 15th, 2009
If you’ve already started planning an Alaskan cruise or Alaskan cruise tour, you might have been considering whether it is worth the extra cost to book a balcony cabin. Of course, with Alaskan cruises in high demand, the cruise fares have been on the rise, meaning that a balcony room is often no small investment.
So are balcony rooms worth the price? The answer depends on several factors, including your personal finances, the time of year you plan on cruising, and the amount of time you plan on spending out of your room.
Balcony rooms on Alaskan cruises can cost anywhere from a couple hundred to a thousand dollars more than inside rooms (and the differential can be even higher at the peak of the season). However, despite this sometimes big difference in pricing, it is common for balcony rooms to sell out before either inside or oceanview cabins.
Why are balcony rooms so popular on Alaskan cruises? The reason for their popularity is that there simply is so much to see along the Alaskan cruise rout that, if you don’t have a balcony, you miss out on a good amount of it.
Unlike in the Caribbean, where you sail from island to island, spending much of your time at sea, in the Alaskan Inside Passage, you spend the majority of your journey passing through a relatively narrow waterway between a chain of islands, often with incredible landscapes visible from both sides of the ship: soaring mountains, lush, green forests, countless waterfalls, fjords, glaciers, and even the occasional whale — you’ll see it all along the Alaskan cruise route.
Of course, if you simply aren’t able to spend the money on a balcony room, you still will see plenty of Alaskan scenery. There are wonderful views from many of the ship’s decks, and often you will have great views from the restaurants as well. Many people who book inside rooms end up spending a good deal of their time outside of their rooms anyway, taking part in the many activities and attending the wonderful shows and other events available on large cruise ships.
However, with a balcony stateroom, you will be able to take it all in from the privacy of your cabin. If you have the money or can book in a less expensive time of year (like May or September), I highly recommend a balcony stateroom. It’s simply the best way there is to experience the wonders of coastal Alaska.
Tags: Alaskan, Balcony, Cost, Cruise, Room, Tips, Worth
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Friday, February 13th, 2009
Too often we see balcony and deck areas go unused because of a sheer lack of privacy. Now you can showcase and bring texture to your yard with natural beauty and privacy at the same time. A unique way to add beautiful greenery to your balcony, coverage from the prying eyes of neighbors, or, what might be an unattractive view, is to create a natural outdoor privacy screen .
Start with lightweight decorative resin or plastic containers. We used 3 for our project because of the size of the balcony deck. One for the front, and one for each side of the balcony. Be sure to select containers that that have drainage holes at the bottom. Plants that are sitting in soggy water-filled soil are never a good thing.
Put a few small rocks around the top of the drainage holes to keep the soil from draining out. Then, fill the containers with soil, and plant vines (we used Creeping Fig because it is hardy and will naturally cling to the surface once it gets established) with branches that are long enough to secure to your balcony’s fence panels. Position your 3 decorative resin containers along the front side of the balcony – center, left and right side. This will give you an outdoor privacy screen that covers all the angles.
Next, cut rolled plastic fencing in to 1-2 inch strips and staple to fence using your staple gun. Secure vines to plastic fencing with plastic coated wire ties. Be careful not to staple the vines themselves. Ouch!! As vines branch out, continue to add more plastic fencing until wood fence panels are completely covered. This will give your balcony a custom charm and a natural outdoor privacy screen. You can also use this same method to cover ugly metal fence poles in your yard as well (see our article on ‘Covering Up Ugly Metal Fence Poles.’)
Supplies:
3 Lightweight resin plant containers with drainage holes, or drill your own. Plastic Gardener Fencing (3 x 50 ft. ? Can be found at most home and garden centers.) Plastics coated wire ties for outdoor plants. Staple Gun Staples (for your staple gun of course) Scissors or wire cutters 3 creeping figs Potting soil and mulch Drainage saucers
Tags: Area, Balcony, Charm, Custom, Deck, Green, IdeasCreate, Landscaping, Natural, Outdoor, Privacy, Screen, Sure
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Friday, January 23rd, 2009
Growing tomatoes in pots allows you to put your garden almost anywhere that has enough sunlight. But it brings with it the added advantage of mobility for your garden. In addition, you can put your garden in spots that just are not feasible most of the time. But there are a few concerns that are unique to growing tomatoes in pots that require a little more up front planning. Keep these in mind and your will be treated to a bumper crop.
Some key factors to successful growing in pots include:
The Pot or Container:
A standard clay pot that has a diameter of 12 inches or more is recommended for tomatoes. Your pot should be drained well, usually with drainage holes in the bottom. Good drainage is needed to avoid rot. If you want something a little less traditional, try using a half whiskey barrels or a bushel baskets to give a different look.
The Right Tomato Variety:
Many types of tomato can be grown in a pot, but it’s important that the variety fits the growing environment you’ve created. If you are in a warmer part of the country, try growing smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes since they will set fruit and not drop blossoms at higher temperatures. Sweet 100 is a real favorite small tomato variety.
Where to Get Seedlings:
The lazy man’s way to start the plants it to just buy them from the the local home improvement story or nursery. One problem with buying at national chains is that they often do a poor job of selecting varieties that are suited for the local climate. If you can’t find a a variety that you want, you may have to start seedlings yourself. Using peat pellets or pots makes this much simpler.
Potting Soil:
When using a pot you can easily tailor the soil to your needs. The key starting point for good soil is lots of organic matter, which will improve drainage. A soil mix that is not difficult to mix is one part each of potting soil, sphagnum peat moss, perlite and compost. Tomatoes are fairly heavy feeders, to plan on using some type of fertilizer. But make sure that it’s a tomato fertilizer, as it will have a slightly different formulation than a standard 15-15-15 or the like.
Putting Tomatoes in the Pot
Start by filling the pot most of the way with the potting soil mix. Put the tomato plant in the soil, and fill to the top, covering the tomato plant stem up to the first set of true leaves, which will be deeper than it was planted before. Tomatoes can grow roots from the stem, so this will encourage a healthy root system. Water and add soil to the top of the pot.
Staking Tomato Plants:
Larger tomato plants will need to be staked. It’s good to put in the stakes when you plant the tomatoes so you won’t damage the root systems adding stakes later. For really tall plants you may want to support the stakes outside the pot, so the pot doesn’t become top heavy and tip over, especially outside in the wind.
Water your tomatoes at least weekly, take care to stake them if needed, fertilize as often as the label suggests, and enjoy your tomatoes. Move them into shelter for the first freeze of the fall, and enjoy an extra week or more of fresh garden tomatoes.
Tags: Balcony, Growing, Patio, Pots, Tomatoes, Work
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
Having a garden is one of the highlights of summer for many people but not everyone has a yard in which to plant flowers. Luckily, there are a few ways that even apartment dwellers can enjoy gardening.
If you are fortunate enough to have a balcony or deck off your main living area, you can use containers to turn it into a mini garden. Today, you can purchase containers that hang right on the railing without any invasive installation and large pots can be used on the decking. If you have a roof above your balcony, you may even be able to install hanging plants. Just be sure that you review the rules of your apartment complex before you add anything to your outdoor area.
When choosing flowers or plants for your outdoor area, you want to be sure to buy plants that will thrive in that environment. If your apartment balcony is shady then you want to get plants that like the shade. If it has blazing sun all day, buy ones that can take the hot sun, or be sure to move them into the shade during the noon heat if they specify that they are for partial shade. Buying annuals is probably a best bet as they will flower all season and you won’t have to deal with them in the winter.
When selecting your containers, be sure to get ones that have good drainage. You may even want to add some small rocks on the bottom to provide additional places for water to go. If you will be putting the containers on your decking, be sure to buy saucers for them so the water doesn’t seep onto the deck and stain it – if you don’t you might find yourself forfeiting your security deposit or re-staining the deck when you move out. Before drilling holes for hanging plants, be sure to check with your landlord or apartment caretaker.
Be sure to use a good potting soil for your plants and water thoroughly. Plants in containers can dry out rapidly and you may have to water them every day. Be sure that you don’t over water, you want the soil to be moist with no standing water. Container plants do well when fertilized about once a month with a general fertilizer or one made specifically for your type of plant.
In addition to planting flowers outdoors, you can also enhance your balcony area with interesting potted palms and other tree like plants that can be moved into the apartment when cold weather comes and enjoyed all winter long. When arranging the plants, be sure to use pots and plants of varying heights – all plants of the same height will look boring, but if you put together containers of different sizes and heights in groups this will add a lot of interest.
Be sure to check your plants every day and pinch off any dead flowers and leaves to keep your balcony garden oasis vibrant and fresh.
Tags: Balcony, Creating, Garden, Oasis
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Sunday, January 18th, 2009
Concrete floors are the bases on which other finishes are laid on in a house. In the construction of a building, the walls rest on this base. This is cast level across the whole floor be it ground or upper floors. Form work is normally done to a height from four to eight inches thick. This thickness depends on which floor it is being cast and the use of the floor. On balconies or verandas the floor is cast lower than the main slab. This is due to rain water entering the house at the door way level. The water may cause damage to the wall and floor finishes.
When casting concrete floors in a building, the depth difference is four to six inches. This enables a smooth step that is easy to climb just like on the stairs. When a design of a house is done, the laundry, balconies and verandas should face away from the wind direction. This will also assist in preventing driving rain from entering the house at the floor level. It is important to use a good finish on this areas. It should be easy to sweep water away. Slabs, ceramic, clay tiles, terrazzo, granolithic or other appropriate finishes are suitable externally.
Once the slab form work is in place, the level for the concrete floor slab is taken. The level for the main house is taken as one when concreting. The area of for the split level then is marked. This is on the main door entrance, laundry, kitchen and lounge or dinning external doors. The depth is put at four inches lower. This is then marked out with a timber piece of four by three inches. The timber piece is for dividing the main house area and the split level area. The timber is to be flush with the external slab form work on top with the four inches side upright.
The concreting process starts with the external areas of veranda or balcony first. This is done below the four by two timber level. When it is completed, the next higher level of four inches above is then cast. This is done flush with the four by two inches timber top. The external concrete surfaces should be laid to fall away from the main house by half an inch. When the building structure is complete and ready for finishes, note that the floor finish should also be laid to fall by a quarter inch away from the house.
Tags: Balcony, cast, concrete, floor, veranda
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Sunday, January 18th, 2009
When you’re renting an apartment, it’s always a challenge deciding what to do with the balcony – as a result, many people leave it bare or just use it as storage for bikes and milk crates. While it might seem difficult at first, even the smallest balcony can be turned into a cozy retreat with some simple seating, plants and a little imagination.
Here are a few easy balcony decorating tips to make the most out of your apartment rental:
Take a Seat
Without a doubt, the easiest way to make your apartment balcony more comfortable is to add a chair or two – once you have a place to sit and admire the view, the more often you’ll actually be inclined to use the balcony!
Balcony furniture can range from a couple of chairs and a side table to a porch swing or a chair hammock. Make sure that your furniture is durable, waterproof and easy-to-clean – you don’t want your balcony chairs to absorb every last drop of each summer shower. If you have a very small balcony and still need the space for other things, you might want to consider a multi-purpose storage bench. In the end, just be sure to plan the space according to what you will use it for.
A Touch of Green
Another easy way to spice up your apartment balcony is to add some plants. Even something as simple as a few potted plants in the corner of the balcony can make the area seem much more inviting. Be sure to choose the right plants for your apartment (you’ll want different plants depending on whether your balcony gets lots of shade or lots of sun) and can thrive well for a long time without constant care.
Be Creative
Above all, be creative! For example, if you really like the outdoors and wish you had a lawn, why not lay down some patches of turf to cover up the ugly concrete floor of the balcony? Express yourself and make the balcony your own – it’s your living space, after all.
Also, make sure to pick out accessories and modest decorations that won’t crack or fade in the sun and won’t get blown away by a sudden gust of wind – you could be liable for damages if anything falls off your balcony.
Check With Your Landlord First
Before you bust out the paintbrush or start drilling holes for the eyehooks that will hold up your hammock, check with your landlord or property manager first to see what is and isn’t allowed on your balcony. Many cities and apartment buildings have specific rules for what a tenant is allowed to do with their balcony – for example, most don’t allow grills or BBQs. Others might not allow the balcony to be used for sporting goods storage, while other might not permit satellite dishes to be installed.
As well, most apartments won’t let you put up any decorations that would make your unit an “eyesore” and really stand out from those around it, so choose your decorations modestly (in other words, don’t expect to be able to cover your balcony with hundreds of Christmas lights).
When in doubt, check your tenant agreement policy and ask your landlord before making any changes to your apartment balcony.
Tags: Balcony, Making, Most
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Monday, January 12th, 2009
Maybe you’ve always lived in a home with a backyard garden and enjoyed home grown fruit and vegetables, but circumstances have changed. Maybe your career options have now ruled you live in an apartment or high rise building but you wish you could relax and enjoy the benefits gardening would offer you.
Though you have no garden do you wish you could grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, and what about an apple tree? Well, let me help you realize that dream; you do not have to miss out on the pleasures of growing your own plants. You can still eat those organic fruit and vegetables that have that unmistakable home grown taste about them and which are free of any toxic residue. By using containers you can easily grow your plants on the balcony.
First you need to consider what space is available. It is useful to start with a diagram and mark down the position of the pots and any outdoor furniture, making sure there is enough room for people to move around in the space. If floor space is limited then consider vertical gardening. This can include growing upwards with trellis or using hanging baskets. Balcony gardening offers very flexible alternatives, because you can swap and change the containers to your heart’s desire to get the look you want.
What you need to do next is take into account how much sunlight and shade your plants would be exposed to each day, and if the wind might be a problem; this will help you decide what plants would be suitable. Even if shade is a problem you still have a huge choice of plants that like those particular conditions.
When planning a balcony garden, don’t let your mind be prohibitive, you can grow dwarf trees, vegetables, flowers, herbs, and it’s easy to have a combination of these. How satisfied would you be,stepping out on to the balcony, taking in the view,then selecting a few homegrown fuits and vegetables for your next meal on the way back into the apartment.
You are now able to select containers of any given size, shape or material to suit anyone’s needs or pocket. Pots can be made of clay, metal, wood, or plastic, but other items which can be used are only limited by your imagination. Experiment with such things as old wheelbarrows, pots and pans, shoes and boots, old tires in fact anything which has adequate drainage. You may need to check your lease or agreement to see if there are any restrictions on the types of containers due to visual, safety and weight concerns.
A window box or a hanging basket can give a fantastic flowering display and can also be used for vegetables or herbs.
Before using any containers you need to make sure they are free from pests and diseases so make sure they are thoroughly clean; scrubbing them with a weak solution of bleach will do the trick. Whatever containers you decide on, be sure you have adequate drainage holes in the base; to prevent soil falling out, form a layer of broken terra cotta or gravel over the base. To allow drainage and prevent rotting, place containers on bricks or pot feet. Now position the containers and move them around till you get a pleasing effect.
Do not use garden soil in the containers as its too dense, and will probably harbor insects or contaminants; it is not suitable for balcony gardening so instead use potting soil, much safer. Add a slow release fertiliser at the time of planting, or use a water soluble fertilizer every fortnight.
Container gardening does present a challenge where watering is concerned. Pots dry out fairly quickly in the summer and will probably need watering twice a day. You need to take this into careful consideration when planning your balcony garden. Installing a tap on the balcony is an ideal solution however this may not be an alternative. For those who are out at work all day, self watering pots are the ideal solution and will help prevent your plants drying out. A watering can is another alternative. Plant saucers will be useful or the excess water may drip down onto the balcony below.
So, however small your outdoor area, you can still enjoy you own flowers, fruit and vegetables with balcony gardening.
Tags: Balcony, Gardening
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