About Me
The story behind the plants
How It Started
My name is Eszter, and I work as a graphic designer in Budapest. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I found myself staring at the bare concrete walls of my seventh-floor balcony in District XIII, thinking there had to be a way to bring some life to this small space.
I bought three pots of herbs from the local piaci stand and put them on the railing. Two died within a month because I had no idea what I was doing. But the third, a stubborn basil plant, kept growing. That small success got me hooked.
Over the next three years, my balcony transformed from empty concrete into a small jungle. Friends and neighbours started asking for advice, and I realised I had accumulated enough experience, and made enough mistakes, to be genuinely helpful. LoraLabdize grew out of those conversations.
What I Write About
Everything on this site comes from personal experience growing plants in a Hungarian urban environment. I focus on:
- Balcony gardening in Budapest's specific climate conditions
- Vertical gardens and small-space growing solutions
- Indoor plants that handle Hungarian winters
- Budget-friendly approaches using materials available locally
I am not a trained horticulturist. My knowledge comes from three years of daily practice, a lot of reading, visits to the Budapest Botanical Garden (Fuveszkert), and conversations with experienced gardeners at the Lehel and Fenyvesi markets.
My Growing Setup
For context on the conditions I work with:
- A 4-by-1 metre south-west facing balcony on the seventh floor
- Strong winds, especially in spring and autumn
- Full sun from noon to sunset in summer
- Two rooms with north-facing windows for indoor plants
- Standard Hungarian apartment heating (district heating, radiators)
This setup has limitations. I cannot grow large plants, I deal with significant wind, and my indoor light levels are mediocre in winter. But these constraints have taught me what really works versus what only works in ideal conditions.
Why Urban Greening
Budapest is a beautiful city, but like many European capitals, its residential areas lack green space at the individual level. The average apartment dweller has no garden, no yard, just walls and a balcony. I believe even the smallest green intervention, a few pots of herbs, a vertical planter, a window box of flowers, improves daily life in a meaningful way.
Research from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences supports this. Urban green spaces, even micro-scale ones, have measurable effects on mental well-being and local air quality. Every balcony that blooms is a small contribution to the larger ecosystem of the city.
Get in Touch
I welcome questions, suggestions, and shared experiences from fellow urban gardeners in Hungary or anywhere else. If you have a plant problem or want to share your own balcony transformation, I would love to hear from you.