July has started with many changes in my little green corner. Some plants have been removed from the balcony. We have changed the position of almost all the plants. But most of all, we have made the tiny balcony a safe place for our little Milo.
We decided that we had to put up a strong netting on the balcony in case Milo would wander around. We had weeks with the windows closed. We couldn't even open a crack because Milo, who is not only curious and naughty, but also seems to have an adventurous soul, took every opportunity to climb on the balcony.
A week ago, he even snuck into the balcony and I found him with his head looking out. He gave me a big scare and then we decided that the mesh was a priority. We needed to ventilate the house and not suffocate from the heat, but at the same time have peace of mind with Milo's safety.
So yesterday was the day. We spent the morning emptying the balcony and removing all the pots. And in the afternoon, they came to put up the safety netting.
Once the mesh installation was ready, Milo had free entry to the balcony and didn't take a minute to take advantage of it.
With just a couple of pots inside, he was able to explore the place. And, of course, he also did his acrobatics moves, the ones we were so afraid of. But this time, we were calm and we let him explore.
And then, we spent the rest of the afternoon placing the pots inside, deciding which ones to put back and where to put them. We wanted to have our green corner back but leave it a bit freer, so Milo could move around without too many obstacles.
Some of the plants could have used a change to a larger pot, like this indoor yucca plant whose roots had come out of the pot. But since it was impossible to transplant it without cutting the roots, the husband had an idea. I don't know if it will work, but at least it is creative and will allow the roots to grow in the soil of another pot by placing the pot half buried in a larger one.
We planted some cuttings from another bush around the pot to see if they grow. Those bushes tend to grow easily, so we'll see.
My aromatic herbs are now more towards the center, before I used to have them in a corner. We will see if the new place suits them. The three that I have right now, oregano, basil, and rosemary are strong and leafy.
The basil, which is the one I have had for the shortest time, has strengthened in the last few weeks.
And one of my rosemary bushes has even flowered. This is the first time that one of my rosemary bushes has a flower.
Of course, there will always be room on our balcony for the bushes that were the favorites of our always-remembered Grogu, the succulent zebra, and the malanga. Good thing Milo only smells them and doesn't chew them.
My Eucharis, also known as Amazon Lily, has a privileged place. But it is not in bloom for now.
And we are left with this medium-sized plant of aloe vera. These days I will have to repot the buds. We had a much larger one full of buds and we decided to distribute it among the neighbors since it took up a lot of space on the balcony. We also got rid of a pineapple bush that was a bit ugly and the tomato plant that now had dried up. It is my second failed attempt to have a tomato plant. After a couple of harvests, I always end up losing them.
I still have to replant the cactus that I have had almost since we moved. It looks a little sick but some of its parts can be rescued. I will tell you later how it goes.
And of course today Mr. Milo had a very happy morning on the balcony. So much so that the afternoon nap on the couch was delayed a lot and that might mean that we can expect him to burst into our room less at night wanting to play, or at least I would like to think so. 😹
This is my post for this month's #gardenjournal challenge.
Thank you for reading.
All images and writing are my own unless otherwise stated.
© CoquiCoin
July 5, 2023
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