subject: Designing The Garden On My Roof [print this page] The roof top garden is simply a garden, usually in containers, that is located on a roof top. Any building - an office, garage or shed, can have a rooftop garden if it is solid enough to take the excess weight and has a appropriate surface.
A structural engineer will be able to tell you whether your roof is satisfactorily waterproofed and whether it will cope with the additional weight of planters, soil, decking, furnishings and people.
What will you place in your garden? Perhaps you just want to grow some herbs in a container; or are you planning a garden where lots of people will visit? Or maybe your garden will be absolutely different - a space for entertaining and relaxing? You could even plant an orchard if you had large enough containers.
Do you have much time to garden? If you cannot commit much time then start with a small design.
The largest difficulty to successful container gardening on a roof top is strong winds and hot sun. Make sure you have a rooftop water source, outdoor electrical outlet, and storage space for tools and supplies. You will require loads of water - look into how and where the roof drains.
Popular materials for containers are plastic, terracotta or wood. During the growing season it will typically be sunny, hot, dry and windy so you must choose tough plants that will endure such conditions.
If you're going to grow permanent plants such as shrubs or small trees or perennials in containers, choose plants that are one or two zones hardier than your climatic zone. For example, if you're in Zone 5, choose woody plants that are hardy to Zone 3 or 4.
Provide some lath-type structures for shade. You can use vine-covered trellising as a wind-break or privacy screen. If you are adding a trellis or screen, make sure it's correctly supported.
Drought resistant plants are good choices, as they tend to be both sun and wind tolerant. If a plant has silver or grey-green leaves then it will reflect the abrasive rays of the sun. If plants have fine hair on their leaves or stems then moisture can gather around the plant tissues.
A roof top garden is an ideal place to grow native perennials. They will be able to handle the ecosystem and you will be helping maintain the native plant population. They will also attract native birds and butterflies.
