Ever since the winter rains here (just short of an all-time record), I have known that the building management would require me to remove all the plants, and everything else, from my balcony at some point. That point has been delayed several times, and meanwhile the threat has kept me from introducing any new plants at all. Since this is USDA zone 10, Sunset zone 22, the summer heat is imminent (we have had a few hot days already) and I've completely missed growing all cool-season plants.

They started the work last Wednesday, but did not finish it on Thursday as promised (two different work crews are involved). They are coming back sometime next week, but I don't know when, and the building manager has told me to keep everything off the balcony for the entire time until the work is completed.

Of course I haven't done that. The plants I already had growing could stand one or two days at a time with only window light, but not a week or more. So I've put them all back outside, although the balcony furniture and potting supplies are still in my living room.