Balboa Island Flowers

Balboa Island
Newport Beach, CA

There's really no new land for building on Balboa Island so housing comes at a premium. Most residential properties are single family dwellings featuring one and two story homes with hardly any yard, but definitely a patio of some sort. Such limited outdoor space has caused locals to gravitate towards flowers and decorative shrubberies in colorful flower boxes, planters and pots.

Balboa Island Improvement Association hosts "Garden of the Month" to promote the effort and give tourists something to look at when they visit and stroll down residential streets.

In addition to seeing flowers in front of homes, you'll see them in flower boxes that line Marine Avenue shop windows. Even the US Post Office has a flower box or two in front.

With mild Mediterranean weather and temperatures rarely dipping below 40 degrees at night, you'll see a variety of garden flowers all year long. Ranunculus, roses, daisies, carnations, orchids, camellias, sunflowers, bougainvillea, ornamental cabbage, irises, sea lavender, Matilija poppies, fuchsia, petunias, geraniums, zinnias, nasturtiums, marigolds, pansies, sweet peas and begonias are some of the flowers that can withstand Balboa Island's bright sun that reflects off the Newport Harbor's waters.

Tons of foot traffic and tourists with dogs frequently cause damage to the planter box attractions as guests rudely pick flowers or let their pets relieve themselves right on these beautiful plants!

Some homeowners hire gardeners to maintain their foliage displays and others do it themselves. If you walk around the entire island's perimeter you'll usually see someone working with plants and flowers. In fact, seasonal holidays such as Valentine's Day, Halloween and Christmas transform the island with festive displays of flowers and decorations such as shiny red hearts, or pine wreaths and flower pots filled with poinsettias. It's simply delightful to wander and admire the beautiful plants.

On Balboa Island neighbors also announce a baby's arrival, an illness, or loved one's death with flower displays. You may even see a marker pen and writing board for guests to add sentiments and remembrances. "Regulars" who visit and walk the island regularly are kept informed through such displays.

When you go: Remember to give compliments if you feel like it, but never touch or take the flowers & plants -- not even small amounts. There are thousands of other people passing by and if each of them did so, the plants would die.