Interested in creating a rooftop garden? It’s not as difficult as you might think, especially if you’re handy with gardening. If this is your first attempt at designing a garden on top of your home, there are some things to consider before diving in head first. Here are some tips for designing a rooftop garden:
Take Measurements
Before designing a rooftop garden, it’s important to take measurements. You’ll need to measure the space you want to use and then estimate its size.
Measure the height of your building from the ground level up to where the roof begins (usually at least 15 feet). This will help determine how many plants can fit on top of your building.
Then, measure the height of your roof in sections—measure all different angles, so there aren’t any surprises once construction starts! The final measurement should include projections like chimneys or vents or anything else that might get in the way of creating an ideal garden space for healthy plant growth. Finally, measure from ground level until it meets said surface area (roof surface).
Have Access to the Rooftop
Before you can begin to design the rooftop garden of your dreams, there are several things that you’ll have to take into consideration. You’ll first need to ensure that the roof is structurally sound and waterproof. You’ll also want to check for fire safety, security, and other issues, such as drainage problems or termites. If everything checks out okay, then it’s time for the fun part!
The next step is deciding what plants you’d like in your garden. Do you want something low maintenance with long-term benefits, like a vegetable garden? Or something more ornamental with fragrant flowers? Maybe even both! The choice is yours but keep in mind how much time and energy each type will require once planted because this will determine what kind of maintenance they might need (more on maintenance later).
Figure Out Your Ideal Space
The first step in designing a rooftop garden is determining what kind of space you have. What are the dimensions of your rooftop? How much sun does it get? What plants do you want to grow, and how much space will you need for them? Asking yourself these questions is essential before getting started on any design plan.
If you’re planning on growing food, make sure there’s enough room for a sizeable garden. If not, consider planting decorative or ornamental plants (more on later).
Give Yourself Some Shade
A common misconception about rooftop gardens is that they are always sunny. Most roofs receive a great deal of shade from trees and structures on the property or nearby buildings. If you have a large enough space, it may be possible to plant tall trees, such as maples or poplars, that provide shade and beauty for your garden.
If you don’t have room for large trees, consider adding a structure that can provide shade over an area where you want to grow plants in containers. Awnings work well for this purpose—they can be folded back when it’s not raining or too hot out and then rolled up when weather conditions are right for gardening. Consider investing in several small tables so that when they’re not being used by other people in your building (for example, at lunchtime), they can serve as platforms on which your containers will sit. At the same time, they’re shaded by the awning above them–this keeps them cool without affecting how much light gets onto the ground below!
Use Container Gardening
Container gardening is a great solution for small spaces since it allows you to grow plants in pots that are moved around as necessary. It’s also great for big spaces since it allows you to plant out of sight or without room for a full-size garden plot. Container gardening is ideal for growing herbs and vegetables on the roof because you can move them around easily and set them up in sunny spots where the soil may dry out quickly. However, container gardening might not work so well for flowers and fruit. A single potted rosebush won’t give off much scent or attract many pollinators (and neither will an apple tree growing in a pot!), but if you want a few scented flowers on your roof deck every spring or summer then this style of planting might be right up your alley!
Create a Sense of Intimacy
Creating a sense of intimacy is essential to making your rooftop garden feel like a special place, or a sensory garden. (almost) It’s important to consider how you want people to interact with the space and what kind of seating is necessary.
One way to plan for this is by ensuring enough seats for everyone who will visit your rooftop garden and an area where people can sit without having their knees up against another seat in front of them. You can achieve this by adding a low wall or ledge around the perimeter that allows for more seating options without cluttering up the space.
Another thing you should consider when designing a rooftop garden is whether or not it will have enough room left over after installation—you don’t want plants crowding each other out! The best way around this issue is by creating pathways through which visitors can walk while still admiring what they see along those paths: plants themselves or other decorative elements like rocks or water features would work well here if done tastefully).
Conclusion
So there you have it, our top tips for designing a rooftop garden. We hope this has helped to give you some inspiration on creating a space where you can relax, unwind and enjoy the view from your home’s roof. It’s amazing how much impact just one small change can make – so what are you waiting for?