(Newswire.net — February 14, 2021) — A rooftop garden can be a tranquil, natural oasis high above the hustle and bustle of modern city living. Whether you’re looking to add a little green in your life or wishing to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for your family, a rooftop garden can be a rewarding endeavor. Here are a few tips for creating a rooftop oasis of your own.
1. Get Permission and Ensure Safety
If you do not own the building you reside in, it is crucial to get permission from the building’s owner or other authoritative body before beginning the project. During this process, it is also important to ascertain if the roof can support the weight of a garden or if there are any building codes to be aware of. It would be a shame to put time, effort, and money into the project only to have to tear it down because you did not secure permission. Even worse, you could potentially cause harm to the building or its residents by compromising its structurual integrity.
2. Draw Up A Plan
Starting a garden is more than simply picking up a few container plants at our local garden center. An illustrated plan—whether created by you or a professional landscaping company—will not only help you visualize your garden but also help make the best use of the available space.
At this stage, you can decide the type of garden—green rooftop or container garden—you would like to create, as well as the best placement of raised beds and the garden furniture from which to sit and enjoy your new garden.
3. Gauge the Heat, Sun, and Shade
When it comes to the sun and a rooftop garden, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. In fact, a rooftop can become much hotter than you might think, potentially reaching far into the triple digits. This can be due to direct sunlight, as well as indirect sun reflected off the surfaces of nearby buildings. That being said, the opposite can also be true, with nearby buildings casting shadows for long periods during the day. Determine how much sun and shade your roof receives throughout the day and plan accordingly, by choosing plants with comparable sun tolerances and/or creating shade with trellises or screens.
4. Establish A Water Supply and Irrigation System
Lugging the amount of water necessary to nourish your garden up to the roof over and over is not only impractical but would quickly turn a rewarding leisure activity into an arduous chore. If there are no water spigots on the roof, you will need to install a barrel or cistern to collect rain and provide a continual water source.
Once established, an irrigation system can be developed. One option is a drip irrigation system. It features a perforated hose either at or just below the soil surface that allows water to continually reach the plants.
5. Evaluate Wind Exposure
Along with the sun, wind can be a destructive force on a rooftop garden. High winds can easily topple containers and blow debris off the roof and onto the unsuspecting public below. For this reason, it is important to choose sturdy garden furniture, planters, and containers or mitigate wind by planting or building structures to block its effects.
6. Set Aside a Space for Storage
Any gardener will tell you that a properly growing garden requires a number of tools and other supplies, all of which need a space of their own. Storage should ensure that tools are not only tucked away, but are secure enough to prevent tools from being blown off the roof during high wind conditions.