Garden and Flowers

Rooftop Gardens

The lack of land space for gardening should not hinder city dwellers from enjoying the benefits of gardening. All you need to do is to figure out how to lay out your garden on your rooftop. But what if you don’t have a rooftop? No problem. You can have window boxes instead or ornamentals along your sidewalk or steps.

Cramping is not a problem with plants because they love to be grouped together. The only thing that you have to check frequently if you have a rooftop garden is the moisture. Because rooftops get a lot of sun, your plants might dry out so to check if your plants are not dehydrated, stick your finger in the soil and then you be the judge. If you grow vegetables in your rooftop garden, make sure to check frequently because vegetables in particular need to be kept moist.

If you choose to have a rooftop garden, you are not hindered by planting only sun-loving plants. You can shift some plants that don’t need much sun at the back or maybe you can place it behind other plants so that it will be shaded.

The trick to this kind of gardening is the plant container. Plastic containers are ideal because they are lightweight and does’t add much to the weight being put on your rooftop. They can also be moved easily. Make sure that the containers have enough holes for drainage. Place few broken pieces of terracotta on the bottom of your container before you put soil in it will allow water to drain while helping to keep the soil in place. It helps to lock in moisture too.

Another thing to consider is the soil that you place in your plant containers. Buy soil that is part compost, perlite and vermiculite. It is good for your plants and it is light weight too. Don’t forget to add mulch on top to help lock in the moisture.

As for the plants, you can have rosemary, Japanese grass, sweet potato and small vines. You can also include some vegetables, perrenials and annuals.