Yuccas dominate my balcony garden. But, thanks to the lockdown, I’ve been trying to grow food as well. In the foreground is a lemon tree I started from seed. It has yet to produce lemons, not even one flower. Keith Richards planted some pips from a supermarket lemon that grew into a tree. He germinated the tree’s flowers by hand and, said Keith, they produced lemons the size of grapefruits. Unfortunately, my tree that’s been around for a few years, has never produced even one flower. But I also started an apricot from a pit and it has fruit on its skinny little branches.

Other plants in this area include lettuce, mint, bell peppers, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and, I believe, a broccoli sprouts plant that I started from a grocery store sprout. During the first phase of the lockdown, it was impossible to buy seeds so I experimented propagating store bought vegetables.

The yuccas cast intriguing shadows on the wall. And the sun hitting on the orange wall makes everything glow. Rome is known for having a special natural light. Maybe so many residential buildings in Rome are ochre or burnt orange in order to intensify this color. Just the opposite of Paris. The natural light there is a bit greyish and blue. The grey white of the buildings helps to reflect the light.

The best thing about my balcony garden is that it helps me maintain an inner balance. You plant a seed, give it water, place it in the sunlight, and it grows for you. It shows you what the basics in life really are. So whenever the terrible events we’ve been witnessing put cracks in my thoughts, I go on the balcony and water my plants.

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