In Love with a Mediterranean Climate: Balconies, Windowsills, and Terraces

I hope you had a happy New Year, celebrating some old traditions and making some new ones! As winter gets up its big guns, I'm continuing my series about plants in Italy. When we went to Italy, the first thing I noticed was plants. They were everywhere! Spilling from balconies, planted in public parks, growing out of walls, on restaurant patios. Everywhere I looked,there were plants. Each week, I’m sharing a different aspect of the plants I saw in Italy. Last week it was succulents. This week, I’m sharing all the little windowsill, balcony and patio gardens I saw.

Along with the succulents happily spilling over all parts of the balcony, this little garden proudly waved the flag of Venice.

Our hotel in Florence was up two flights of stairs, but there were still spider plants lining the hallway.

And this "Orange Cafe" had plants lining its outside terrace.

This balcony was one of my favorites, not just for the tree that took up most of the space, but for the ornate leaf-shaped ironwork of the balcony itself.

Abundance was easy to find, but even a couple of pots spruced up a concrete wall.