Balcony Gardening

Like most everything in life, living in an urban environment has its pros and cons.  We live in a condo building, and although we sometimes dream about the peace and quiet of a standalone house {e.g., when riding the elevator with nosy neighbors or listening to the "dog parade" out in the hallway as owners take their furry best friends for walks}, for the most part condo living suits us really well.  We both work long hours, are not very handy {though Shep definitely wins the award for most improved in this category!}, and would much rather spend what little free time we do have reading in the park or meeting up with friends, rather than having to worry about cleaning gutters, raking leaves and mowing the lawn.

We are very lucky though to have some private outdoor space in the form of balconies.  And although there are definitely space limitations, we try to "pretty things up" by keeping some colorful potted flowers outside during the warmer months.

Nothing too fancy -- just a few pots of blooming flowers from our local Home Depot -- but it's enough for us!  It's funny how a little splash of color can really improve your mood, isn't it?!

What are YOUR favorite flowers??