Sunday, May 3rd, 2009
Due to the popularity of my article entitled ‘Create a Natural Privacy Screen for your Deck or Balcony Area that is Sure to Add a Calming Charm,’ I thought it would be helpful to cover a few more ways to enhance your privacy in a natural and green way. This time by mixing in some additional foliage with coordinating color and some flowering possibilities.
When writing my original article, I knew right away that the issue of privacy screens would be a hit after speaking to so many neighbors, acquaintances, and overall troubled homeowners who were battling to find a natural way of melding their established landscaping with their balcony or deck area and add an element of what I refer to as ‘calming charm’ at the same time.
To help you out even more and take our original project subtly one step further, we can mix more than one vine together for the effect sought after and easily achieved in hanging and window baskets. By coordinating and complimenting more than one type of foliage and enhancing it with a color combination that fits your landscaping theme, your balcony or deck can take on an enchanting new and calming look. You may remember that our original project used only the Creeping Fig vine to create our privacy screen. Let us look at ways of starting a harmonious relationship between the Creeping Fig and other vines and plants.
Assuming you decide to use the Creeping Fig as we detailed in the first article, consider adding a second type of vine to your mix, such as pink Jasmine or another dark leaf plant. Both of these particular plants have a darker green foliage, but with much different shaped leaves. The growth characters of each are very different as well, with the Creeping fig exhibiting a natural ability to cling to surfaces, and the pink Jasmine trailing and wrapping itself around its own shoots and those of other plant varieties. The most significant difference between these two plants though is the flowering nature of the pink Jasmine and its well deserved fragrant reputation. Both are very hardy plants and blend very harmoniously together, while offering a splash of color during the spring and summer seasons from the pink Jasmine.
Here is how you will create your privacy screen:
Step 1: The planning and planting phase of creating this more colorful and natural privacy screen is essentially identical to that in the original article. You would pick out your plant containers, ideally rectangular to flow well with the shape of your balcony or deck. Make sure they have drainage holes or be sure to drill them yourself. Then, add a layer of small rocks or gravel to help with drainage and keep soil from falling through the drainage holes. Finally, add your potting soil, organic fertilizer, your vines of choice, and a top layer of mulch to help the soil retain moisture and resist weed growth. Your containers will most likely need to be a bit longer in length since you will be planting two vines side by side.
Step 2: Again, you will cut 1 to 2 inch strips of plastic fencing available in most garden centers, and attach loosely to your fence panels or deck railings using a staple gun. Be conservative in how much you staple. You are simply trying to attach a few of the vine lengths to give them a start. Use plastic coated wire ties to attach a few of those vine lengths to the plastic fencing. Eventually, the vines will grow and shield the visibility of these plastic fencing and wire pieces, so you will forget they are even there.
Step 3: Follow the directions received on the information tag that hopefully came with the vines you purchased, and water, fertilize, and prune accordingly.
You have now learned another way of giving your balcony or deck a calming charm, and adding a natural and lush privacy screen at the same time.
Tags: Another, Balcony, Calming, Charm, Deck, Ideas, Landscaping, Natural, Privacy, Screen
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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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