Balcony Landscape - This time with furniture!

Last April, I posted on my new landscape installation at my very own balcony.  I signed off saying I still needed to track down furniture.  Well, I'm delighted to share some pics of what I finally decided on.

I knew I wanted a table that I could work on with my laptop and also that could function as a dining table.  But with the narrow dimensions of the balcony, I didn't want to get something bloated and oversized.  I also wanted to have a pop of color, as I largely plan to landscape the balcony with herbs and houseplants during the summer, all of which are mostly green and the forsythia is green from mid-May forward.

I looked for sets everywhere.  I fell in love with the Comptoir de Famille catalog and got depressed about the prices on the Gracious Home site (they had a bistro set that ran for about a total of $500 - a bit pricey for me).  Then I found this set on the Sears website, of all places!  The grand total -- with shipping -- was just around $120.  The set is made in China, which accounts partly for the low price, and there were a few spots where the powder coated paint was thin, but overall, I'm delighted with the quality.  They're solidly built and heavy and quite comfy to use.

Bench Siting

When I worked at the Bronx Zoo, I drew up a lot of quick little construction drawings for the installation of benches throughout the park's campus.  In a million years, a sketch indicating this would never be approved. Anyone know why?

We always had to incorporate some kind of paving (ideally a porous one) underneath the bench.  The arrangement above (though lovely with the pink granite pedestals underneath each bench foot) would require to much maintenance.   Mulch would have to be re-applied and weeds would need to be combated (particularly in a sunny location like this).  Granted, the operating budget for the Sculpture Garden may very well exceed that of the Bronx Zoo's, but this detail just looks unfinished to me.

Above, at the Bronx Zoo, benches are sitting away from the main traffic path and elevated above Astor Court's historic granite curb.

At Longwood Gardens, the benches are sitting on platforms and pulled back from the path, so your knees aren't in traffic.

The detail above, at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, is even more elaborate.

 In Teardrop Park, the bench sits on a continuation of the sidewalk paving.

As it does at this church courtyard in Paris.

At the High Line,  the bench sits above a drain grate.

Finally, the bench I'd most want to sit on: a stone bench at Monet's home in Giverny, France has cobble paving to distinguish this from the main thoroughfare.