Who we are
Our website address is: https://balconygardenguide.com.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on Balcony Garden Guide, we collect the data shown in the comments form (such as name and email address), the visitor’s IP address, and the browser user agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. You can review the Gravatar service privacy policy here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture (if available from Gravatar) will be visible to the public alongside your comment.
Media
If you upload images to the website (for example, in comments or forum posts), please avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site, you may choose to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. This is for your convenience so you do not have to fill in your details again when leaving another comment. These cookies will last for one year.
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we set up several cookies to save your login information and screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. Logging out of your account will remove the login cookies.
If you edit or publish an article (if applicable for contributors), an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles, guides, or posts on Balcony Garden Guide may include embedded content (e.g., videos from YouTube, images from gardening resources, articles from botanical institutes, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in exactly the same way as if you had visited the other website directly.
These external websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with the embedded content—including tracking your interaction if you have an account with and are logged in to that website.
Who we share your data with
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email for security verification purposes.
How long we retain your data
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This allows us to recognize and automatically approve any follow-up comments instead of holding them for moderation.
For users who register on our website (if registration is enabled), we store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All registered users can view, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (though usernames may not be changed). Website administrators can also view and edit this information.
What rights you have over your data
If you have an account on Balcony Garden Guide or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any information you have provided to us. You may also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include data we are required to retain for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. We also use basic analytics to understand how visitors use our site, which may involve anonymized data processing by third-party services to improve the user experience on Balcony Garden Guide.
This privacy policy is designed to inform users of Balcony Garden Guide about how their personal information is handled. We are committed to protecting your privacy as you enjoy our gardening tips, vegetable growing guides, flower care advice, and plant resources.
For any questions regarding this privacy policy, please contact us through the website.