How to Garden Like a Frenchwoman: 10 Ideas to Steal from a Paris Balcony - Gardenista
Making elegance look effortless, actress and script writer Diane Valsonne transformed a narrow Parisian balcony into a chic garden.
Photography by Mimi Giboin for Gardenista.
French Doors
A pair of French doors swing open to connect the flat’s living room to the balcony garden. A pair of side-by-side doors hinged on the outer edge of the doorway’s frame are French doors, often used to enter an outdoor balcony, patio, or garden.
Iron Railings
From a wrought iron railing hang balcony planters filled with herbs and flowers. Painted black, a lacy iron railing is a classic backdrop for plants and outdoor furniture.
Every Inch Matters
Many of Valsonne’s favorite plants come from Bleuet Coquelicot, a neighborhood shop where flowers of all colors spill out from the tiny storefront onto the sidewalk.
You can create a layered look by thinking of a balcony as a space with three separate zones for plants: a facade (where trained vines can grow up the wall), a floor (where potted plants can cluster), and a railing (for window boxes full of herbs and sun-loving flowers).
Along the balcony railing, Valsonne hangs planters full of herbs and flowers. For similar planters, see 10 Easy Pieces: Black Balcony Box Planters.
Railing Planters
Valsonne’s eclectic collection of pots and railing planters is unified visually because they are all made of clay. Figs, fennel, tomatoes, herbs, cutting flowers, and wisteria are some of the plants Valsonne grows.
Mix-and-Match Containers
Bushes of cherry tomatoes grow against the facade of the building. Valsonne allows wisteria tendrils to curl around door frames and windows to frame the picturesque neighborhood views.
Frame the View
Valsonne tends her garden daily, snipping and pruning as necessary to keep plants in check.
Wisteria vines grow up metal pipes, giving the plants a support system and preventing damage to the building’s facade. Install a sturdy trellis, arbor, or pergola and train vines to grow on it.
Support System
Drought Tolerant Plants
Potted olive trees (left) send up new growth. Water plants once a day (or better yet, install a mini drip irrigation system to manage the chore for you) and choose plants that can withstand a little neglect.
Complementing the green colors and textures on the balcony, Gaillardia pulchella (blanket flower) adds a punch of bright color.
Color Coordination
Valsonne’s open-air living room.
Air Circulation