Looking for ideas to create some privacy on my balcony for the winter months...

October 2, 2007 5:09 AM

Five big hibiscus plants worked perfectly all summer, but with winter coming, I need another solution...

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Hi, everyone. I moved into a new apartment this past June, and I needed to create some privacy on my balcony. This summer, I used several hibiscus plants in large pots, and that worked perfectly, but now that it's getting cold outside, I need a new strategy...

I spent hours searching for solutions, both here & via Google, but I'm not really finding what I need (or I'm finding some good ideas, but no real-world applications).

While I'm not averse to new plants (evergreens, etc.), I don't know enough about them to run off to the nursery & spend hundreds of dollars, only to watch them die in a couple months...

I thought I could buy some rolled fencing (bamboo, willow, vinyl), but since this is an apartment complex, I need to be mindful of the overall appearance, i.e. it needs to be as unobtrusive as possible. The balcony railings are white vinyl, so in my mind, I'm assuming the most unobtrusive solution would be white fencing, but I haven't found anything that is white, weatherproof, attractive, and has enough spacing in the "weave" to allow the wind to pass through... Also, since this is an apartment, I can't have anything permanently mounted, so I'll have to use something like zip ties, however, I haven't found white or clear 100% weatherproof zip ties.

Of course, I could use indoor plants inside the house, in front of the sliding glass door, but that isn't really what I want; I like being able to see the balcony from inside the apartment. Same problem with using privacy film on the glass doors.

Lattice/trellis: unless it's a dense pattern, for want of a better term, I don't think it would provide enough privacy.

Another idea I thought of is camouflage netting (used by hunters), but having never actually seen any in person, I don't know if this would be ugly when attached along the railings. It has all the other aspects I need (white, 100% weatherproof, light & wind filtering, mold resistant, flame retarding), but again, would it be ugly? Here's an example of what I'm talking about:
http://www.vtarmynavy.com/snow-camo-flame-retardant-netting.htm

Ideas, links, photos, and your own experiences are GREATLY appreciated! Thanks a lot.
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posted by NYScott to home & garden (8 comments total)

What about silk/plastic plants? Yeah, I know. Meh.

If you want real ones, you might pose this question to a local nursery (ie, not one of the Lawn & Garden department at the big box chains). I'm sure they could steer you towards some winter-hardy evergreen container plants that would suit your purpose (and zone).

How much sun/wind exposure does your balcony get?

Off the top of my head, boxwoods might work pretty well. So might ligustrums, privets and hollies.
posted by jquinby at 7:33 AM on October 2, 2007

Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder, but I think cheap plastic white roll-up shades (the kind made with plastic strips woven together with string) are less ugly than white camo netting.

You can't find clear zip ties? All of mine are clear. I might have bought them at an auto parts store, or possibly Costco.
posted by yohko at 9:36 AM on October 2, 2007

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jquinby:
- Yeah, no fake plants...
- I could go to a local nursery, and I'm sure they'd help me out, but I think it would costs hundred of dollars to get what I'm looking for, so I'm trying to come up with alternatives.
- The balcony faces east, so I get the morning sun, but it's mostly shaded by noon or so. I'm at the top of a 2-story building, so the wind is nothing crazy.
- Thanks for the other suggestions; I'll write those down!

yohko:
- I'm not talking about "plastic white roll-up shades," I'm talking about fencing rolls. I'm envisioning fastening a fence to the railing, not hanging shades that roll up & down from the ceiling. The railing is approximately 4' high, from the top horizontal rail to the floor. I was thinking about rolling the fence/bamboo/camo along the railing & fastening it to the vertical posts. A white fence/bamboo/camo against a white vinyl railing should be barely noticeable from the street--that's what I'm trying to achieve.
- It's not that I can't *find* clear or white zip ties, it's that I can't find clear or white ones that are UV shielded, so they don't degrade in the sun.

Thanks again!
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posted by NYScott at 10:44 AM on October 2, 2007

Last year during the summer I used a trellis. This year I was thinking about using the trellis, but intertwining fake (plastic) ivy or other vines. They will be green all winter, and they really look pretty real. They go on sale all the time at JoAnn's fabric or a similar store.
posted by la petite marie at 10:56 AM on October 2, 2007

I don't think any of the bushes I mentioned are all that expensive, but then I'm usually buying them in 1 or 5 gallon sizes. I'm not sure how tall you need your plants to be for the sort of privacy you're looking for. Smaller = cheaper, but then you're waiting for the suckers to grow.

An alternative (and I always wanted to do this) was container grown bamboo. It ought to grow pretty quick, and as a bonus...it's bamboo, which is all sorts of cool in its own right. I was on a bamboo kick awhile back and had mixed results looking for fancier varieties at nurseries. In many places, its considered noxious but it should work great in a container. In fact, that's the recommended method for using it if you want to keep from turning your back yard into a jungle.
posted by jquinby at 11:00 AM on October 2, 2007

I'm not talking about "plastic white roll-up shades," I'm talking about fencing rolls. I'm envisioning fastening a fence to the railing, not hanging shades that roll up & down from the ceiling.

You were quite clear in your original question that non-plant items under consideration were to be attached to the railing. I was suggesting the shades assuming it would be taken as an item to be attached to the railing as you mentioned, and that I didn't need to specifically mention that I was suggesting that you take those white plastic shades which are made from plastic strips woven together with cord, remove the hardware that lets you raise and lower them, and attach them to your railing with the zip ties, particularly since I mentioned zip ties in my answer. White fencing that I've seen which comes in rolls is not at all nice looking (but perhaps you've seen some other than what I was thinking of), and I thought the item-sold-as-a-shade-which-could-easily-be-repurposed would look nicer.
posted by yohko at 11:32 AM on October 2, 2007

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la petite marie:
Interesting idea... Of all the fake plants, ivy probably looks the most real (least fake?). I could probably find some real evergreen boughs to stick in there, too...

jquinby:
To cover the absolute minimum amount of space I want shielded, I'm guessing each tree/shrub would need to be at least 3.5' high, and at least 1.5' wide. I assume 4 of them, plus planters & soil for each, would be a couple hundred dollars (but my guess is based on absolutely no knowledge!) ;o)

yohko:
Thanks for the extra time you spent explaining your original answer. I appreciate your effort, but I don't think we're on the same wavelength.
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posted by NYScott at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2007

I live in the Southern part of the US, but we do get freezing temps at times. The local newspaper gives this hint for dealing with tender plants in the winter:

Decorate each plant with several strings of the small sized holiday lights. Winding the lights amongst the leaves and branches. I prefer the clear ones. When these light are on, they provide enough warmth the keep the plant from freezing.

You can pick these up for a few bucks at the Dollar stores, especially this time of year. I think it looks a bit festive to boot.
posted by JujuB at 8:45 PM on October 2, 2007