Beautiful Rooftop Garden Ideas
A working space on your roof can be transformed into a beautiful, lush rooftop garden, welcoming a patch of green even in the busiest cities dense with concrete. The best part? You don’t necessarily have to have a green thumb.
Let Tall Plants Take You Away
Despite what the movies tell us, not all rooftop pads are in perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. Most of us are stuck in the line of sight of a vacant parking lot, apartment buildings in need of a good power-washing, or caught beneath a gas station’s constant fluorescent glow. Your rooftop garden, however, is the key to taking unsightly views and making them one for the books.
It starts with tall plants. You might initially think being a gardening expert is required to maintain the height and girth of taller plants, but there’s the option of bamboo or grass. Both species are easy to grow and are easier to care for, so much so, that you need to be sure to pot them otherwise they’ll take over your garden.
Tall plants immediately provide privacy and shift your view to one of natural, green beauty. No more ugly buildings, say goodbye to nosy neighbors, and consider that unattractive abandoned warehouse shut out. It’s your garden now.
Go Vertical
Let’s keep in stride with the theme of using vertical space. That’s the beauty of a rooftop garden—the sky’s the limit!
We’ve emerged into a trend of hanging wall planters, geometrically shaped, gold-tinged, and minimalist in their Scandinavian design. It’s a trend to take advantage of because it will invite more greenery into your rooftop garden, filling in the spaces that cannot be reached by means of a ground pot or floor vase.
Turn to climbers, like a Morning Glory that can wind around a pole, drainpipe, or railing. Use railing planters to fill-in-the-blanks and window box planters to round out your garden.
All About the Furniture
While it’s called a rooftop garden, it’s really the furnishings you add that draw the true attention to your visitors. The flow is essential, and if you can, integrate benches, comfortable seating, loungers, and chairs into your garden as if it’s all one piece. Choose a style of outdoor furniture and stick with the theme throughout, making sure that the type you pick can weather the elements appropriately.
The best rooftop gardens have enough seating dispersed throughout for plentiful mingling. For the aim of having guests over with the intent of a dinner party, make sure you’ve implemented enough space for everyone without it feeling cramped—use table extenders or several small tables for your al fresco dining.
Next Level: Water Feature
Want to take your rooftop garden to the next level? Add a water feature. For those in a cacophony of a bustling big city, a water feature can help drown out the blaring horns, screeching traffic, and unsettling sounds of the outside world.
Water features aren’t difficult to install. You can even find them pre-assembled at a hardware store or online. Plus, a water feature is an invitation for gorgeous neighborhood birds to stop by, adding in another layer of wildlife aesthetics to your rooftop getaway.
Tiered Beds
In step with using as much vertical space as possible, turn to the tried-and-true method of tiered beds. You don’t have to get fancy if you don’t want to (or if you roof won’t allow pouring concrete to make raised flower beds), pallets can make a rustic-chic look for your rooftop garden with minimal added-weight and effort.
Tiered beds allow you to add more plants in an area with limited space. For your garden, that’s more color, more greenery, and an added layer of privacy. Just be sure to build your tiered beds effectively so a gust of wind won’t knock anything over.
Light it Up
What’s a rooftop garden without some stellar lighting? Every garden needs this—it’s truly the icing on the cake. Otherwise, you won’t be able to enjoy your rooftop at night.
To highlight the focal points of your rooftop garden, string lights, utilize tall torches, and install lanterns or spotlighting to bring out the best parts. Shine lights on your dining areas or your thicket of trees to add depth and eliminate dark spaces and shadows, and on the underside of floating benches to modernize their look.
Plant Creatively, Plant Smart
Although it’s essential to plant a variety in your rooftop garden to create aesthetic interest, it’s just as critical to plant smartly. Ask yourself before you buy your plants: what kind of climate do you live in? What season is it? What type of plants can thrive in your rooftop garden and what kind of work do you want to do to keep them that way? Different plant species require different needs, so ask yourself, do you want a low maintenance garden or do you want to be challenged?
Don’t be afraid of planting a mix of colors and textures. Overall, it’ll give your garden a fascinating look that you won’t be tired of. Mix in annuals with shrubs for a pop of color among your greenery. And always map out your garden before you begin planting, that way you can be sure your plants will thrive in the spots you’ve picked out for them.
At Feldco Roofing, we have qualified professionals to replace your old roof with a brand new roof. With the new roof, you’ll get triple layer protection, exceptional wind resistance and stunning design that will increase your home value and curb appeal tremendously. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote online today.
