Roof garden: ideas and how to make one

Roof garden ideas

The roof of a house or building is a space that is usually wasted but in many cases. It is used to enjoy it and appreciate the landscape that surrounds us.

On a rooftop, the view is better and things are seen in a different way. A  terrace on the roof is an excellent option to give a new use to the space and create a stay of coexistence and rest for the family.

But another wonderful option, and which we will talk about this time, is to create a roof garden. Have you heard the concepts of ecological roofs, green roofs, and green roofs? This is what we will deal with on this occasion: the design of rooftop gardens, green roofs, and ecological and sustainable roofs.

If you have a plan to build a roof garden or green terrace. Put vegetation on the roof of your house. Do not forget to contact gardening professionals. And if your project is more ambitious,  landscape architects can help you. Follow and get inspired.

Rooftop Gardens, What Are They?

Roof garden or green terrace

Green roofs involve an alternative use of a commonly overlooked place: the rooftop or the roof of the house. A green roof is one that has vegetation and can also be used as a rest and coexistence area. Depending on its uses and vegetation management, a green roof can be:

  • A simple roof terrace decorated with plants, or terrace with vegetation, is ideal for living together, playing, and chatting, where the vegetation fulfills an ornamental function.
  • A roof garden involves a little more work and design. In this case, a landscaping and vegetation design is carried out on the surface of the roof, considering places for pots, ponds, bowls for trees, and an adequate irrigation and drainage system for the site.
  • Ecological ceilings or green ceilings are those covered by vegetation with the purpose of insulating and cooling the interior of the house, avoiding overheating of the ceiling, at the same time that they take advantage of alternative space to purify the air and clean the environment, through adequate vegetation such as bushes, grass, and trees, avoiding as far as possible the emission of pollutants into the environment.

Rooftop Gardens

Speaking of ecological and sustainable systems, there is also the option of using the roof as a garden, suitable for installing bowls and special soil, a place to manage compost, irrigation and drainage systems, and areas for harvesting.

The vegetation, in this case, consists of vegetables, fruit trees, and aromatic and medicinal herbs.

It is very important that the roof has the necessary structure for it, since the earth, the water, and the vegetation, in general, constitute strong weights that not any foundation and structure resists.

How To Install A Roof Garden?

The requirements to set up a rooftop garden, from placing pots to having an organic garden, are basically the same:

  • A special waterproofing system: the roof must be perfectly sealed to prevent any type of leakage into the structure of the building.
  • The drainage system, either by slope or with gutters to collect water and reuse it if possible. It should not be left accumulated to avoid extra weights in the structure or possible leaks in the waterproofing system.
  • An anti-root barrier for larger bushes and trees, considering the height of the bowls and the land to be used. Letting the roots grow too long can damage the structure of the house.
  • The land to use depends on the vegetation that you are going to place, it is not the same material for desert plants or a garden of succulents as it is for aromatic herbs or an organic garden. Consider that point, in addition to the amount of water each plant requires.

Rooftop Garden Ideas

The vegetation on a roof can indicate the use or uses that are given to it. For this reason, a good design is essential, whether it is for a garden, to separate plant areas, or to place pots and benches. Here we are going to share with you different uses of rooftop greenery or ideas to create a rooftop garden. Take note:

  • For a terrace with benches, pots or boxes can be built on the perimeter of the space to delimit, for this, stone, brick, or concrete are ideal.
  • You can include pots or planters inside the roof to delimit areas, assign paths, and separate activities. Fiberglass pots are ideal for this due to their multiple designs and lightweight.

Rustic Roof Garden

  • A rustic terrace for desert areas will look great if you install pots and wooden boxes with palms, earth lilies, or bougainvillea to delimit the perimeter. This, in addition to working as a protector, beautifies the views of the landscape.

Traditional Roof Garden

If there is a big old tree in your house, it will be the perfect ally for the views from the roof. If it is close to the building, place pots on the perimeter closest to it, and hang small flower pots from its branches, taking advantage of the shade and beautifying the views.

Vertical Rooftop Gardens

An exceptional option for terraces is vertical gardens, due to several advantages:

  • They help to delimit zones or protect areas that need to be hidden. Such as the corner of the controls or gas installations, the washing service or the load center.
  • They can obstruct unpleasant views, towards areas of the landscape that are not attractive. Such as neighboring houses, neglected buildings, or desolate places.
  • Vertical garden designs are usually ecological and sustainable. So the plants can be of little care, require little water and offer a lot of beauty.

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