Very cool (no pun intended). We've been debating doing something like this on our West-facing balcony that gets brutally hot in the Summer.
this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026
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fool. intend your puns
Haha, got it.
If you have cold winters, consider planting a deciduous tree so you can have sun in winter and shade in summer
Good idea, if we can find any that are the right size for a balcony.
Whoops, did not read "balcony" before my response. So, green cooling is still on the table, but needs to be potted. Maybe a small potted citrus? Kumquat do great in pots.if it gets really hot though, you'd probably need a tray of water below the pot to make sure it doesn't dry out and bake.
No worries, thanks for your suggestion anyway. It's a good idea. I'm researching which deciduous trees or bushes may be appropriate for container growing. And yes, apparently citrus, even lemons and oranges, and peaches can be grown in pots.
great share. thank you.
Now if they could also heat in the winter...
well you can grow beans... then eat them... properly combusted, the gasses will warm your house somewhat.
Have you never heard of firewood? Unfortunately you need a fairly large garden for it to provide a decent amount of heating.
I suspect if you used it to heat up an insulated water tank and then had under sofa heating pipes that could be a much more efficient method of warming a person than heating the entire house, and require far less fuel. Or just use a few hot water bottles.