At half past five in the morning, before the alarm clock rang, Granny Li quietly got out of bed. Pushing open the creaking wooden door, she habitually walked towards the balcony. Her eyes instantly lit up when they fell on the new patch of green — on the double – tiered PVC flower rack, the feathery fronds of ferns unfurled in the morning mist, and the rosebuds on the upper tier were about to bloom, with a few glistening dewdrops clinging to the edges of the petals. For the first time in the twenty years since she moved into this old residential community, Granny Li felt that her four – square – meter balcony was full of vitality.
Two years ago, when Granny Li just retired, she started thinking about decorating her balcony. She carefully selected a wooden flower rack from the flower and bird market and gingerly placed on it some spider plants and Kalanchoe blossfeldiana divided from her neighbor’s plants. In the first three months, the wooden flower rack indeed added a lot of charm to the balcony. However, the continuous plum rains in the south became the beginning of a nightmare. The damp air carried mold, which grew wildly in the wood grain. In less than half a year, the bottom of the flower rack began to turn black and rot, and even attracted woodlice. Granny Li reluctantly moved the plants onto cardboard boxes and sighed as she looked at the mottled wooden rack. Later, she tried replacing it with a metal flower rack. But under the intense sun exposure, the welding points quickly became rusty. After a heavy rain, the rust mixed with muddy water stained the freshly washed bedsheets with unsightly yellow patches.
It was not until last year, when the community held a gardening exchange meeting, that a young volunteer named Xiao Chen recommended a PVC flower rack to her. “Granny, this kind of flower rack is waterproof and corrosion – resistant, especially suitable for our local weather!” Looking at the colorful pictures of the flower rack in the brochure, Granny Li placed an order with some skepticism. When the package arrived, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the installation was easier than building with blocks. Thanks to the snap – together design, she assembled it in less than twenty minutes all by herself. The light beige double – tiered flower rack had smooth lines, and its surface, which imitated wood grain, felt smooth and delicate, without any of the roughness of cheap plastic.
Granny Li began to carefully plan her “sky garden.” On the bottom tier, she placed Boston ferns and bird’s nest ferns. These shade – loving plants thrived in the diffused light, with their feathery fronds overlapping layer upon layer, as if dressing the flower rack in a green skirt. On the upper tier were her favorite roses, with varieties like “Juicy Veranda” and “Scheherazade” arranged in a scattered pattern. Whenever the slanting sunlight shone on them, the petals would glow with a soft luster. She also hung a small watering can and gardening shears on the edge of the flower rack for easy daily maintenance.
Now, taking care of the flower rack has become the most anticipated part of Granny Li’s day. When the first rays of dawn appear, she puts on her reading glasses and carefully dusts each leaf with a spray bottle. As dusk falls, she takes a small trowel to loosen the soil and fertilize the plants. The smooth surface of the PVC flower rack makes cleaning extremely easy. When some fertilizer accidentally drips onto the leaves, a gentle wipe with a damp cloth restores its shine. Aunt Wang from the next building always stops when passing by Granny Li’s balcony: “Lao Li, your flower rack is so beautiful! I really should replace my wooden one!”
Gradually, the balcony has become a social hub for Granny Li. The elderly ladies in the community often come to visit, bringing homemade pastries. They sit around the flower rack, savoring the treats while listening to Granny Li share her gardening experiences. When someone asks about the flower rack, she pats the frame proudly: “This PVC material is so worry – free! During last year’s typhoon, which raged all night, my flower rack didn’t budge at all!” When she gets excited, she even takes out her phone to show photos of the flower rack in different seasons — the brilliance of the blooming roses in spring and the poetic sight of the ferns edged with gold in late autumn.
The small PVC flower rack not only holds thriving plants but also carries Granny Li’s love for life. The balcony, which used to be cluttered with sundries, has now become a unique scenic spot in the old residential community. Whenever the setting sun gilds the flower rack, Granny Li sits in her rocking chair, listening to the rustling of the leaves. She always thinks that life should be like this — ordinary yet sparkling with tiny bits of light.