One of the things I was most excited about when we moved into our new apartment was our balcony space. While it’s barely large enough for a bistro table and far from the 2 acre backyard I grew up with, it was a little outdoor space to call our own right smack in the middle of San Francisco. I immediately envisioned creating a space full of greenery where we’d be able to enjoy a glass of wine after work or a sunshine filled breakfast on a weekend morning. It was a vision so clear but I also had absolutely no idea where to begin.

You see, as I’ve bounced from apartment to apartment (and city to city) over the years, I’ve  never had an outdoor space, so while decorating the interior of a new space is no sweat for me, the outdoors were a whole new ballgame. I also happen to have a less than stellar track record with plants, so my vision of lots of greenery was a bit ambitious and to be honest, pretty scary stuff.

But you know what? Sometimes you’ve just gotta give it a shot and go with it. All too often we get ourselves hung up on the idea of having every single little detail figured out before we dive in – we create countless excuses for why we shouldn’t (um, hello black thumb!) but the real fun happens when we step outside of that comfort zone and make bold choices.

And that my friends, is how I went from serial plant killer to proud plant mom to a whole slew of little green guys.

Okay, maybe it didn’t happen quite that quickly – let’s back up for a second… This whole endeavor began when method (my absolute favorite cleaning brand!) challenged me to #fearnomess – to forget about perfect and step outside of my comfort zone to tackle a project in our home. This little challenge came at just the right time as I had been stressing myself out about getting the interior of our apartment done, hence perpetually stalling on our balcony space. So challenge accepted, and off I went on my mission to take the balcony from blank to bold.

Given that I’m clueless in the plant department, our first stop was at Flora Grubb Gardens (if you’re in San Francisco and have not been yet, please step away from your computer and head there immediately. You’ll thank me later). The gorgeous location was the ultimate boost of inspiration while their staff was incredibly helpful in helping me make some solid plant selections and find the perfect pots for my new plant army. We ended up with several California staples: succulents and cacti, and even added in our very own herb garden and little lime tree! It’s the perfect little blend of textures, shapes and sizes and I’ve gotta say… there’s nothing better than cooking with herbs grown right from your own balcony!

Once we had wrangled our plants, things got messy. As in, dirt covering every square inch of my balcony and myself, as well as tracked throughout our apartment and all over the kitchen sink which had been used both as a plant watering hub and a hand washing station. I quickly realized there was a reason that gardening was typically left for those with true backyards… Planting in a small space means you’re left with a BIG mess.

Luckily our apartment is always stocked with method’s all-purpose cleaner – it’s our do-it-all product that we know we can count on for every surface of our home. We always choose method products because they’re animal friendly, both in the sense that they’re safe to use around Callie AND that they don’t test any of their products on animals or use any animal bi-products. Bonus points for also smelling amazing – the Lime & Sea Salt scent is delicious!

We put our beloved method all-purpose cleaner to the test to literally live up to its claim to put the hurt on dirt and help our balcony bistro table recover from the planting madness and clean up its act to become worthy of Sunday brunch al fresco. And that it did. A few sprays later and we were back in business. Our balcony has become my happy place in our home and while my new crazy plant lady role is a lot of work, it’s been the perfect reminder of the awesome things that can happen when you take risks, make a mess, and try something that makes you a little uncomfortable.

Have you tackled any big projects around your home lately? Anyone else completely obsessed with method products? 

This post was sponsored by method and as always, all opinions are 100% honest and my own – authenticity is a top priority and I only partner with brands I truly love. Thank you for supporting the brands that partner with Pretty & Fun!