Urban Gardens
Edible Gardens
A Family Fills a Paris Balcony With Good Things to Eat
Wanting to teach his kids about gardening, a father seeks a pro’s advice on building an urban farm just outside his door
After his divorce, this father looked for a place where he could start fresh with his two kids, who live with him part time. He didn’t have to look very far: The apartment on the sixth floor of their 19th-century building had been empty for years, and he was able to convince the owner to sell it. After moving into his new home last spring, he started looking for activities that would entertain and educate his kids. Instilling family values and establishing family traditions also had become especially important for him after his divorce.
Luckily, Parisian buildings like this have coveted balconies that extend the entire length of each apartment. Having been initiated into the world of plants at a young age by his own parents, this father wanted his children to discover the joys of gardening too. So with the help of a family friend, landscape designer Anouck Barcat, they started building their own little green oasis in the city.
Luckily, Parisian buildings like this have coveted balconies that extend the entire length of each apartment. Having been initiated into the world of plants at a young age by his own parents, this father wanted his children to discover the joys of gardening too. So with the help of a family friend, landscape designer Anouck Barcat, they started building their own little green oasis in the city.
Before: The father sought Barcat’s advice on materials, and she helped him shop for supplies. Except for the wood for the deck, the materials and plants came from a nursery in the suburbs of Paris.
“The store is next to an RER [suburban express train] stop and, since the owner does not have a car, it was really practical. The planter boxes are sold in cardboard boxes and weigh about [14 pounds], so we went back with an Autolib [a car-sharing service] car to pick the things up,” Barcat says.
Find a landscape designer on Houzz to help with your project
“The store is next to an RER [suburban express train] stop and, since the owner does not have a car, it was really practical. The planter boxes are sold in cardboard boxes and weigh about [14 pounds], so we went back with an Autolib [a car-sharing service] car to pick the things up,” Barcat says.
Find a landscape designer on Houzz to help with your project
Before: Barcat advised the owner to first install a wooden deck to replace the zinc sheeting.
“Installing a wooden deck made it possible for us to level the floor so the planters could sit properly, and it also adds a warmer note to the balcony,” she says.
Pine deck: Leroy Merlin
“Installing a wooden deck made it possible for us to level the floor so the planters could sit properly, and it also adds a warmer note to the balcony,” she says.
Pine deck: Leroy Merlin
It took the owner three evenings to install the grooved pine boards.
Barcat also had suggestions on how to fill the remaining space. “The sedums planted in the compost took right away, and we added white pebbles as a finish. The owner’s children have picked up the habit of bringing back a small rock plant to grow there every time they spend a weekend away from Paris,” she says.
Barcat also had suggestions on how to fill the remaining space. “The sedums planted in the compost took right away, and we added white pebbles as a finish. The owner’s children have picked up the habit of bringing back a small rock plant to grow there every time they spend a weekend away from Paris,” she says.
An area resembling a planter box on the north side of the balcony is filled with white pebbles. Barcat suggested placing three round pots there. “I wanted to break up the linearity of the existing planter boxes and the balcony,” she says.
Barcat purposely selected pots in different sizes, and she filled them with plants that have subdued colors: Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) on the left, a fragrant white rose in the middle and lavender on the right. Herbs grow in compost in a permeable-fabric bag suspended from the railing.
Find grow bags in the Houzz Shop
Barcat purposely selected pots in different sizes, and she filled them with plants that have subdued colors: Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) on the left, a fragrant white rose in the middle and lavender on the right. Herbs grow in compost in a permeable-fabric bag suspended from the railing.
Find grow bags in the Houzz Shop
The heart of the installation consists of two planters, each about 3¼ feet long by 14 inches wide by 14 inches deep.
These planters were selected with forethought. “It was May when the owner wanted to plant his kitchen garden, but he told me he was leaving for a month this summer, right at the peak of harvest season,” Barcat says. “The only solution to make sure that the effort wouldn’t be wasted, and that his mother could come and harvest it while he was away, was to go for an integrated irrigation system.”
That’s why the planters have water reservoirs.
These planters were selected with forethought. “It was May when the owner wanted to plant his kitchen garden, but he told me he was leaving for a month this summer, right at the peak of harvest season,” Barcat says. “The only solution to make sure that the effort wouldn’t be wasted, and that his mother could come and harvest it while he was away, was to go for an integrated irrigation system.”
That’s why the planters have water reservoirs.
Before: “These planters can be mounted in 20 minutes without tools by fastening a piece of geotextile fabric to a metal frame. The owner’s children mounted them. In this picture, we see the irrigation system at the bottom of the planter box. Simply fill it with clay balls, cover it with the geotextile fabric, fill the planter with compost, and it is ready for planting,” Barcat says.
“There is no need to water every day in summer; just add water every 15 days to fill the tank. Thanks to the clay balls, your plants get the exact amount of water they need through capillary action. Nevertheless, you still have to water every day in the first week after planting, while the water pathways fall into place.”
Shop for self-watering planters on Houzz
“There is no need to water every day in summer; just add water every 15 days to fill the tank. Thanks to the clay balls, your plants get the exact amount of water they need through capillary action. Nevertheless, you still have to water every day in the first week after planting, while the water pathways fall into place.”
Shop for self-watering planters on Houzz
The owner’s mother came to give the kids a hand and offer planting advice. She was the one who recommended covering the planter with pine bark mulch so that the surface of the soil wouldn’t dry out. The children also filled the two planters with organic compost, and planted lettuce, tomatoes, celery, basil, radishes, strawberries, peppers, rosemary and mint, among other things.
“It’s an easy garden for those who do not necessarily have a green thumb. You can plant berries and vegetables together without worrying about different varieties’ watering requirements. Since there are still [11 inches] of soil above the irrigation system, even carrots can grow here,” Barcat says.
“It’s an easy garden for those who do not necessarily have a green thumb. You can plant berries and vegetables together without worrying about different varieties’ watering requirements. Since there are still [11 inches] of soil above the irrigation system, even carrots can grow here,” Barcat says.
The balcony has become the family’s favorite spot for an evening aperitif.
The red bistro table, which looked so forlorn on the balcony before, now proudly stands surrounded by organic plants.
Shop for red outdoor tables
The red bistro table, which looked so forlorn on the balcony before, now proudly stands surrounded by organic plants.
Shop for red outdoor tables
This photo was taken by the owner in June, one month after planting. Clearly, the small garden is very productive with its built-in irrigation system.
“The tomato plants have grown more than [3 feet], and the balcony railing serves as improvised stakes,” Barcat says with a smile.
The family also grows zucchini here.
Here is a picture taken in early July. These tomatoes look promising!
The project has gotten the kids interested in gardening.
“Since they first planted everything, the children go to the terrace to see what has grown every morning when they are with their father. It only requires five minutes of maintenance a day, and very few weeds grow there. His daughter likes to sit on an ottoman and just watch the plants for a while,” Barcat says.
More on Houzz
Read other stories about urban gardens
Find a pro for your home project
Shop for outdoor products
“Since they first planted everything, the children go to the terrace to see what has grown every morning when they are with their father. It only requires five minutes of maintenance a day, and very few weeds grow there. His daughter likes to sit on an ottoman and just watch the plants for a while,” Barcat says.
More on Houzz
Read other stories about urban gardens
Find a pro for your home project
Shop for outdoor products
Who gardens here: A man in his 40s and his two children, ages 6 and 10
Location: Paris
Size: About 20 feet by 3¼ feet (6 meters by 1 meter)
Budget: About $800, including $105 for the pine deck; $350 for the round pots, gravel, substrate, plants and seeds; and $330 for the planters
Designer: Anouck Barcat