Hi there. I too live in NYC, and while in the past I had a deck and yard (in Queens), I am now in a new building with a balcony. This is my first time doing balcony gardening, so like you I am trying to figure things out. First off, I'm a bit confused as you said you 'not allowed to use screen or blinds'...I guess you mean somehow hanging aruond the sides of the balcony...but then you added that you plan to use a trellis. So I'm confused as to why the building management(?) won't let you use screens or blinds, but that a trellis is ok...either way they all sort of block the view to varying degrees. What about bamboo fencing? Anyway, as for the trellis, that was something I too planned to do on the sides of my balcony....not so much for privacy, but to add height so that my cats won't consider jumping up on the tops of my railings. I too then planned to grow some type of climbing plants up the sides of the trellis. I know that weight is an issue on balconies. Just curious....is your balcony recessed into the footprint of the building, or does the balcony complete jut out from the side of the building? If it juts out, then I'd think you have to be even more concerned about weight. I assume you know that you'd only want to use plastic or resin planters...nothing terra cotta or stone etc. ;-) You mentioned that you'd need to bring everything inside in the Winter, yet I'm not sure why you think this. I also know that space is at a premium in NYC apartments, so I would guess that you (like me) would prefer being able to leave things outside, versus having to bring them indoors. The key is either 1) buying annuals and accepting the fact that you'll have to buy news ones the next year, so keepign the existing plants outside in the Winter would make no difference anyway and 2) to buy perennials only, or at least some perennials, and making sure they are hardy for our region. In general NYC is considered Zone 6, and so for plants in pots (and which therefore don't get the protection from the earth to keep the roots warm in Winter) you need to subtract two Zones, so essentially only buy perennials that are hardy to Zone 4...and MAYBE Zone 5. It's hard for me to visualize a 12' x 6' balcony, but I think a potted Japanese maple would be nice. But for a good sized one (I always buy mine from the Flower District...) you'll probably need to pay about $200. However, I think it's worth it because they are so beautiful, and you'll also get beautiful foliage in the Fall. In the Winter, though the leaves fall off, you are still left with the beautiful shape of the branches. (Though you need to be aware that during heavy snows you'll need to go out and shake the snow off the branches...otherwise the weight of the snow will cause the delicate branches to break off). In NYC, potted Japanese maples can be kept out year-round and should come back each year no problem. (I've never had any issues with my potted maples staying outside....they come back every year.) If you have tables or any kind of gardenign supply boxes etc on your balcony, you could also try to situate those along the sides of your balcony and then put potted plants on top of the tables. The tables will obviously help to elevate the plants or make them taller, thereby perhaps giving you some of that privacy you want. Another option is to use hanging plant brackets that can be affixed to your balcony railings. You can situate them wherever you want privacy, and then suspend a plant so that it hangs above the level of the balcony railng. If you have walls where you can affix hanging plant brackets (if you are allowed to drill into the walls), that cuolsd be another option, and then you arrange the hanging plants in such a way as to partially block the view of others. Attached is a link to a really great wall bracket that can be positioned multiple ways. This same website has a wide range of hanging plant brackets.... Here is a link that might be useful: multi-position hanging plant hook

Mixed border- find 4 or 5 shrubs, broadleaved evergreens, and conifers that get to the desired size and mix 'em up. That way when you need to replace one you don't destroy uniformity because there is none. Intersperse a few small trees and underplant with a combination of ground cover and perennials. Or did you want the specific plants chosen for you? What type of light does this area get?

Got it. So, if the exotic invasive honeysuckles are present, then yes, they will happily move in to fill any newly-created space. Again, I'm right there with you, having dealt with numerous similar situations. You're on the right track in knowing that nature abhors a vacuum. as soon as one element is removed, something is going to move in and fill that spot. So, are you at all familiar with the cut-stump, or as I prefer to call it, cut/treat method of removing and eradicating non-native invasive woody species? We've talked at length about it here and elsewhere, so some kind of search should turn something up. That's the technique you're going to need to use if you are to have any hope of beating this honeysuckle back. It is doable. I get what you're asking, that of the possibility of the conifers appearing too stiff. I happen to like conifers a great deal, under the right conditions, and my favorite woods have both broadleaf and coniferous species. One thing that can help to soften the effect is to plant in groves, the way nature usually does. So, in nature, some disturbance-fire, windstorm, etc. -would have cleared an area. Often, conifers are among those species able to colonize such sites. As such, they are often quite closely-space initially, with the stragglers dying out over time. What is left is a rather dense grove, especially true of the genus Thuja, which is what the Green giants are. I'd rather see a grouping of them than one blob here, one blob there. I'm sure you don't have any native groves of Thuja occidentalis down your way, but up here, it is a common feature of primarily low, wet woods. And everybody-and I do mean everybody-loves the effect of these groves. From any distance at all, it looks like big, oversized moss to me. In any case, that is the type of effect I'd go for with the GG's. +oM

Hello again! I'm back and need someone to help me with the size and shape of a patio for our yard and with the placement of my children's playset. We just finished construction on our porch and deck and not even a week later the HOA rolled through to do their yearly inspections. They cited us on bare spots in the lawn. I guess they don't look back to see the "history" of the HOA applications for each home before they do the inspections. Anyways, my plan to deal with this is to up the timeline on adding a patio to our yard. I don't want anything super big or that puts me out on display in the middle of my yard. Our goal for the patio area is to make a connection between the deck steps and the basement areaway. The actual patio space will be used for some of my toddler's toys, possibly the grill (it's currently on the deck), and for either a propane or wood fire pit with chairs around it, the fire pit will not be built in. The next area I need help with is the placement of my children's play equipment. Where it currently sits I will not be able to add landscape timbers and mulch without being in the HOA's common area. Do I just move the playset 2ft forward and place the back timber on the lot line? Or do I try and angle the playset and group everything into one corner of the yard? The patio design I came up with... The current playset location... A potential spot in the corner of the yard...