The other main consideration was
the space itself, since the balcony was only 10 feet deep. So, to break up what could have looked like a bowling alley, Gomes and Broere installed a three-foot-square planter flush with the deck, mirrored by another planter sitting atop the deck against the building. A large “boulder” beside the low-lying planter helps to bring more nature, of sorts, to the space. Similar to what they did in the Mayos’ space (see Condo Gardening), the designers installed wooden trellises attached to the deck but not to the condo building itself.
For Wine and Slayton, plants also had to be as low-maintenance as possible because the couple, who admit to being “non-gardeners,” are away for much of the summer when the 13th-floor terrace gets a double blast of hot sun and wind. Plant choices include a hardy selection of alpine clematis, sedums, dwarf irises and dwarf evergreens such as Japanese garden juniper (*Juniperus procumbens*). “We’ve only had to replace one plant since the garden was done,” says Wine, “which says something about the hardiness
of those plants.” For these often-absent gardeners, Broere and Gomes found a creative watering solution by concealing a timed irrigation system beneath the deck with piping that runs to each pot.
**Flush with the deck, the planter by the rock is only three inches deep but supports alpines, yarrow, sedum and dwarf irises. It helps to break up a bowling-alley-like stretch in the centre of Wine’s terrace. She plans to plant moss on the rock to make it look even more natural. Lounge chair, Quasi Modo.**
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