A wrought iron chair used to add elevation and whimsy plays off similar interior elements.

Today was magnificent! Sunny, 80 degrees, with the softest of breezes playing across my balcony. Gone was the icy chill that has been hidden in the winds of recent days.

Chimes for feng shui

Sprouts, small plants, and my tabby sunned themselves outside, and as if on cue, I got an email from Burpee saying that the remainder of my plant order was being shipped and would arrive in two days. The danger of frost has past. At last.

With tonight’s low temperature forecast at a nice 60 degrees, I think that for the first time, I’ll leave things out for the duration. Except for the cat, of course. I’ve begun to envision being able to finally sit  outside myself — in a tranquil, relaxing garden.

Green-trimmed rug

And how do I go about creating it? My living/ dining area opens to my balcony garden, so I try to use color to pull you seamlessly from one space to the other. My interior walls are a soothing green and my rug has royal blue, pale yellow, green and orange hues — hues you’ll remember make up my palette for the plants in the garden.

Interior rug mirrors tones used outside

I also have some black wrought iron elements inside, and I’ve reflected that outside, as well, via a couple of small bistro chair frames that I place in corners to elevate some of the plants for added depth and dimension. The all-weather mat outside has green tones, I use orange terra cotta pots, and my adirondack chairs and the matching table are a vivid blue.

Blue adirondack

Oh, and every urban balcony, with the myriad ambient sounds playing in the background, can use a little feng shui: well-positioned wind chimes counter the everyday commotion. They rest against the net lights.

We have to do our best to build our own brand of paradise.