Apartment decoration (advice and fun discussion)

[Chickpea Sarada]

Last week I moved out of my parents' house into an apartment!  Yay!  It's on the 12th floor of a high-rise with a long balcony (connected to both the living room and the bedroom).  I'm almost done furnishing it, and thinking of how I can decorate the balcony.

I was thinking of maybe having a little fish pot (a ceramic pot with a lotus plant and a few fish to eat up any mosquito eggs) or some plants to catch the water that drips from the air conditioner.

There's this one mynah bird that likes to hang around on this particular balcony.  Must be his/her territory.  I was tempted to put out a bird feeder (there's a loop on the ceiling where I could hang wind chimes, a potted plant, etc.), but there's poop and mites to consider.

Anyone interested in sharing ideas or advice for apartment decoration? Or want to share stories?

[Werel]

Climbing plants on the lanai, if you have a railing! Dragonfruit! It's pretty easy (& free) to grow from a cutting, if you've got time. Or at least a ton of plants, because I love those high-story lanais that are crammed full of pots like a weird little garden shop.

You don't need to feed that mynah. Just eat messily outdoors a few times a week and it'll be your pal before too long.

[Chickpea Sarada]

Yup, the lanai has railing. (Cool, you use the term too!) I was thinking of growing morning glories since I've seen some packets of seeds at the store. I also love seeing lanais with lots of plants, which is why I want to do it. Makes it easy to spot your unit from the street.

And great idea on just eating outside and "accidentally" leaving crumbs. Lessens the likelihood of birds other than that one mynah showing up.

[Werel]

(Cool, you use the term too!)

Fellow Hawaii resident, "balcony" just sounds incorrect now

[Prajnaparamita]

Massachusetts resident here, so my only comment is to ask why the heck you'd choose morning glories over something called dragonfruit. I mean damn we don't get cool plants like that around here. You can find morning glories everywhere though...

But the nice thing about morning glories is they will reseed themselves year after year, producing volunteers that will spring up everywhere. So if you go with that whole potted plant paradise thing, you'll soon have a jungle of vines coming out from every pot.

Also, not sure if you're seeking other potted plant recommendations, but Chinese emperor fern (sometimes just emperor fern) is a very dramatic, but low maintenance indoor/outdoor houseplant. It will flourish with nothing but soil and water, and in a few years can grown from a cute little glossy green fern in a terrarium to something resembling a miniature palm tree.

[reboot]

I am not sure about the care and maintenance, but night blooming jasmine (cestrum nocturnum) is amazing on terraces. Pretty and smells amazing

[fakely mctest]

Sweet potato vine comes in at least a couple colors (chartreuse and a deep, eggplant purple), easy to care for and tough to kill. Plus it drapes beautifully.

I am totally in love with what this woman did with her balcony. She put landscape fabric on the balcony floor and gravel over top and violets grow in the gravel.

Design ideas for an urban, bookish balcony.

This handrail-mounted grill is one of the many reasons I wish my apartment had outdoor space.

[eselle28]

This handrail-mounted grill is one of the many reasons I wish my apartment had outdoor space.

That's a fabulous idea. I wish I'd know about that before I bought my tiny, but still space-hogging, regular grill.

[Chickpea Sarada]

Sweet potato vine comes in at least a couple colors (chartreuse and a deep, eggplant purple), easy to care for and tough to kill.  Plus it drapes beautifully.

I am totally in love with what this woman did with her balcony.  She put landscape fabric on the balcony floor and gravel over top and violets grow in the gravel.

Design ideas for an urban, bookish balcony.

This handrail-mounted grill is one of the many reasons I wish my apartment had outdoor space.

I would so use that gravel idea if I had a rooftop!

As for the loop for hanging things, my mom suggested wind chimes, but I think I'd prefer something a little less noisy. Potted plant? Lantern? Bird cage (sans bird)?

[eselle28]

I don't think wind chimes are a good idea in an apartment. Even if they don't annoy you too much, I suspect they'll end up irritating at least one of your neighbors!

Hanging plants are always pretty, but since you're already going with a potted one, I kind of like the lantern idea.

[kath]

I definitely live in a very different climate so I don't think I have good outdoor decoration techniques (all my plants are like wild roses that are hardy to -40, and lilacs and other zone-3-approved plants), but I hope you take pictures!

Also the thought of a high-rise balcony space having some chance of being more pleasant than not is pretty enchanting!

[Barretts_Salt]

Oh, nice!  A lanai in Hawaii.  I had an apartment with a wide and deep balcony -- but in a vastly different climate.  I definitely second the night-blooming jasmine suggestion, and wonder how you might like an evening/moonlight garden?  Lots of fragrant, white and pale flowers   -- night-blooming if you can get them.

Also silver foliage plants are a winner in that application.

[Chickpea Sarada]

The bird chirps loudly by my bedroom and has woken me up for the 4th time in a row. I don't think I like that bird anymore. Glad I never fed it and led it on.

[readertorider]

We have a set of solar powered string lights on our deck which are usually quite pretty (though not enough to read by or anything). I like the plant ideas. Not sure about your climate/area and what your bird would try to eat first, but if you like tomatoes, cucumbers, or pineberries they could be options as well--not as pretty/nice smelling, but edible is usually good.

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