Balconies - The German Retreat

By Ellen Hofrath-Stovall

Ellen Hofrath-Stovall

Comfort, coziness, creativity, expressing one's personality may not be the first things that come to your mind, thinking about Germans in general. I don’t know if you are familiar with the phrase “cocooning”, but this is actually what we love very much. It means to love being at home, and make your place a nice and cozy nest. And this doesn’t stop inside the house.

We don’t aspire to own houses as much as other nations, so most of us live in apartments or rentals. Some apartment houses have gardens, or people rent a “Schrebergarten” I told you about in a previous article. But especially when you live in a city you may not everybody has access to those. That’s why our balconies are so important to us.

Here in Berlin about 70 % of all flats have a balcony. For a lot of tenants, the existence and size of the balcony is a big decision maker. We treat them as our own recreation area or garden, depending on size and time. When I’m walking the streets I love to look up, check the balconies and imagine what kind of person lives there. It is so much fun, as you barely find an empty one. At least it has some seating or it’s used as storage, but most people put a lot of effort into this extension of their private space.

Some prefer to have an open sight to the streets and surroundings, others like to protect their privacy.

I am really fortunate to have a relatively big balcony, so I have several areas: during the summer I had enough space for my hammock, now I got a small tent as additional space for my grandson. I have a bench and a rocking chair, tables, and also greenhouses to grow flowers, veggies, and herbs. As I work in my home office it’s a great benefit to be able to step outside and have a coffee in a green, calm environment without having to leave the house.

I have curtains to provide protection from sun and rain and also extra privacy.

As I mentioned in several previous articles, urban gardening is a big deal in Berlin. A lot of people grow food instead or in addition to flowers here. From herbs to tomatoes can be placed into the smallest place.

I also love to have friends over. It gets a bit tight with an actual dining table, but that makes it even more fun.

As much as I enjoy my balcony during the day and with sunshine, I love watching the night sky or listening to the wind or rain, wrapped in a cozy blanket with a nice cup of tea to warm my hands.

When I take my dog Odin for his last walk, I often choose a route through our neighborhood. So I can watch the people laughing and talking, enjoying the summer evenings outside with their loved ones or friends, just having a good time. Or even nicer, in wintertime, when all the balconies are decorated for the holidays. I love the colorful summer flowers, but also winter plants. They all have their own magic.

Now fall is coming, so slowly but surely it’s time to switch the plants on my balcony and I’m so looking forward to it. I still have plenty of flowers, but you can see they are getting tired. Like every end of the summer it’s bitter sweet. But I’m really looking forward to the changes. I’m considering a small fire pit for the cold nights.

As soon as it’s all set up, I’ll show you some images.

See you next time

Ellen

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You may reach Ellen at : bunteinspirationen@gmail.com on Instagram: ellenberlin1

Bio: Ellen Hofrath-Stovall was born in 1965
She is living in Berlin/Germany
2 Daughters, 3 grandchildren
single
Painting since 2012, self-educated several exhibitions in cafes and restaurants

Reproduction of all or any part of material of Ellen Hofrath©, including previous posts, without the express written permission from Planet Starz, Inc. is strictly forbidden.

**Note from Natalie: Ellen is someone I discovered on Instagram and immediately we became friends. I thought what a nice addition to the ezine this would be to have a column for her.
Enjoy her work every month here at Mystic Living Today**

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