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This study tested the hypothesis that a third dimension of urban gardening, in the form of green terraces and balconies, is of immense importance to the public well-being, mitigating climate changes and contributing to a more pleasant life in highly urbanized zones. By means of a concise questionnaire, a total of 82 respondents of different age groups (20-70 years of age) were surveyed about their opinion on green terraces, balconies, and roofs, i.e. the plants and flowers they incorporate. The fieldwork and survey responses facilitated the design of ten different spaces in various conditions. The results obtained enabled the selection of plants which could be used in given conditions, depending on wind, insolation, shade, ground levels, precipitation, etc. A total of three different terraces (out of ten) and three different balconies (out of ten) were enrolled in the study. The research results indicate that ten minutes of gardening could reduce stress levels and restore the positive energy of residents. An increase in the overall plant diversity exerts positive aesthetic and ecological effects. Inner-city areas are often sparsely vegetated, devoid of plants, and densely built-up, thus terraces and balconies have the potential to be retrofitted with suitable greenery.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the floristic composition, abundance, biological spectrum and ecological effects of Futoški Park trees and shrubs on the basis of bioindicators. The field research was conducted in Futoški Park, which is one of the oldest and largest parks in the City of Novi Sad, covering an area of 81,306 m2. Upon determining the floristic composition of Futoški Park and the protection zone around the Park hotel, a total of 121 genotypes were recorded, out of which 34 species and lower taxa belong to the Gymnosperm phylum (Pinophyta) and 87 species and lower taxa belong to the Angiosperm phylum (Magnoliophyta). A total of 5,228 representatives of dendroflora were found. The biological range of trees and shrubs in the study area mostly includes deciduous nanophanerophytes (34.98%) and evergreen nanophanerophytes (33.72%), whereas the remainder includes evergreen phanerophytes (16.35%) and the least prevalent deciduous phanerophytes (14.94%). The analysis of ecological indices shows that the greatest number of species meet the environmental requirements, and are successfully acclimated to the climatic and soil conditions. On the basis of the overall vitality and ornamental features of the dendroflora analyzed, it can be argued that Futoški Park is a unique ecological and environmental entity in the urban structure of the city.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of commercial plant growth regulators (PGRs), namely Inict-1 and Incit-5, on the rooting of African violet leaf cuttings (Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.). The production of African violets has grown considerably in recent years, thus it is important to study the most rapid and cost-effective means of mass production. The propagated plant material of the cultivar ‘Nagano’ was treated with Incit-1 and Incit-5. The following parameters were observed: the occurrence of the first root, the number of formed secondary roots and root lengths, the occurrence of the first leaf, and the occurrence of the first flower. The results obtained showed that the use of commercial rooting hormones, namely Incit-1 and Incit-5, exerted positive effects on the duration of rooting, the number of secondary roots formed, and the root lengths of African violets. During the research, it was observed that the rooting durations of all the plants treated with Incit-1 and Incit-5 were 5 days shorter. The results indicate that the plants treated with PGRs necessitate less time to root, less time to produce new leaves, and, consequently, less time to produce flowers.