Everyone wants to decorate their home beautifully. They decorate their inside home but what about the rooftop? The solution is rooftop gardening. Rooftop gardening is not only for decoration there are lots of others benefits of rooftop gardening which can amaze you.
The environment of the world is getting polluted heavily. The only solution to reducing pollution is planting trees. But lack of space and high rate of land making it difficult for planting trees or make a garden. So for these reason the concept of rooftop gardening becomes very popular in big cities.
In France Switzerland and Canada there are laws regulating and demanding that all new commercial and residential buildings have at least a partly green rooftop.
In present time the rooftop gardening is really popular because it not only looking beautiful but also rooftop garden has lots of benefits. So now we look about some benefits of rooftop garden:-
1. Improved air quality
Air pollution is increasing day by day especially in big cities. As a human beings we breathe in oxygen and breathe out co2 and plants are the best source of oxygen. But it is difficult to plant trees in urban areas because of a shortage of land. So in urban areas it is important to make a rooftop garden and this helps you to breathe in fresh air. The rooftop garden helps to reduce the percentage of dust and stop the production of smog and these things can decrease the chances of greenhouse emissions in big cities. Lust but not the least a single rooftop garden in a big city may not be able to give us any benefits but many rooftop gardens can do so.
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2. Reduce temperature
Your roof is construed with lots of materials and those materials observed Sunrays all through the day and become very hot in the summer make difficult for you to stay in the home. But if you make a garden on your rooftop it will soak the sun rays and keep your roof and home cool. If you like to hang out on your roof but you cannot do so because of your hot roof then make a garden on your rooftop that will cool down your roof temperature and also make beautiful views.
3. Easy to rearrange
When you make a garden you plant fruits trees shrubs flower they will remain fixed in that position. The plants further develop their roots and establish themselves in that place. So what happened when you think about moving your plants? Here the idea of a rooftop garden came into your mind. In a rooftop garden you can easily move your all plants whenever you want. Furthermore you can add any plants to your rooftop garden and you do not have any tension about digging in your rooftop garden. So you can easily rearrange your rooftop garden.
4. Effective use of rainwater
Rooftop gardening is the best way to use rainwater perfectly. Rainwater is a gift from the environment and a big source of energy. As the rain falls the plants on the rooftop immediately use the water and the extra rainwater is stored for future use. So in this way the chance of wasting rainwater is decreased. The use water on plants also returns to the environment by evaporation and transpiration. So we can say that rooftop gardens effectively use the rainwater.
5. UHI effect control
The rooftop garden easily decreases the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. In recent times the UHI is the biggest problem in big cities. In urban areas all building is made of concrete and other material so those materials observed sunrays and become very hot because the sun warms up concrete much faster than plants and trees. For this reason the urban areas stay hot all through the year and it increases the use of ac and other cooling machines. But a rooftop garden can decrease the effect. Through the daily evaporation cycle plants cool down the temperature of the whole city. The rooftop garden also safe the roof of a building from direct sun and this also cools down your building’s temperature. So it is proven that rooftop gardens prevent UHI effects.
So we know some amazing benefits of a rooftop garden so we now discuss about some advantages and disadvantages of a rooftop garden.
Advantages and disadvantages of rooftop garden
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| 1. Rooftop garden reduce temperature and makes the roof as much cool as possible. | 1. The rooftop garden will put heavy pressure on the water supply of the building. |
| 2. It reduces CO2 and produces oxygen | 2. The structure and the weight of the rooftop garden can create problems in the building. |
| 3. Rooftop gardens provide fresh food in urban areas. | 3. Rooftop garden needs a complicated drainage system and it could be very costly. |
| 4. Rooftop garden gives high quality fresh water. | 4. Rooftop garden needs to clean and check every day otherwise there is a chance to grow snakes and reptiles and that could be very dangerous. |
| 4. Rooftop garden gives high quality fresh water. | 5. It was a very costly process to make a garden on a rooftop so it is not possible for everyone to make it. |
It is not easy to create a rooftop garden there are lots of steps that you need to follow to and there are many problems also. A rooftop garden relaxes your mind from the pressure. So in this article we are to discuss the steps of creating a rooftop garden so if you want to create a rooftop garden I am sure this article will help you a lot. Let’s start the discussion of the main topic:-
1. Understanding the loading capacity of your roof
Before creating a rooftop garden it is important to see the loading capacity of your roof. A rooftop garden is very heavyweight so your roof structure needs to support the weight otherwise it’s impossible to create a rooftop garden. For better information and tips contact a building engineer and make sure that the engineer is licensed.
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2. Check ethical legality for a rooftop garden
You want to create a rooftop garden that sounds good but before that you need to maintain the ethical legality. Check your country or municipality code before construction because in your area it may be restricted. If you live in a rented house talk to your house owner and then start the work of gardening.
3. Monitor your building’s sun exposure
Sunlight is very important for the growth of plants. Your plants need a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sunlight but the problem is on the rooftop your plants are hit by direct sunlight which may be harmful. So it is important to monitor the sun exposure in the morning midday and in evening so your plants can get accurate sunlight.
4. Plan for wind exposure
After sunlight wind is the most important thing for a rooftop garden but you need to monitor the wind exposure very carefully. The wind is generally strong on the roof and this strong wind can kill your plant on the roof. To protect your rooftop garden from the strong wind a windbreaker is necessary. To monitor wind exposure you can use an anemometer. Wind can dry your plants so it is important to monitor wind exposure to know the right time for watering your plants.
5. Buy heat-suitable plants
All types of plants cannot survive in the rooftop garden because the sun heats directly on those plants. So try to buy some heat tolerable stronger plants which may survive on the rooftop. Ornamental grasses honeysuckle magnolias are the better candidate for rooftop gardening. You can also use shade and windbreakers for better results and make sure that you can regularly water your plants because this helps your plants a lot.
6. Buy plants which can native to your local area
Buying native plants is most important in creating a rooftop garden. The plants which are native to our local area are more comfortable with the weather than the problem of direct sunlight and harsh wind solved because native plants can easily tolerate this. The native plants also attract native fauna like birds and butterflies and they attract more animals. So contact your local nursery and ask for native plants for your rooftop garden and buy it.
7. Choose ornamental trees and shrubs
If you have a small place on your rooftop then ornamental trees and shrubs are the best option for gardening because the weight of large trees may create problems for your roof. So plant ornamental trees and shrubs and protect them with windbreakers and shades and those plants give you better results. Examples of some ornamental trees and shrubs are Dogwood Star Magnolia Crabapple etc. Those trees you can plant on your rooftop garden.
8. Make a proper drainage system
No matter what you need to water your plant and a proper drainage system makes smoother your watering work. Sometimes extra water creates problems for your plants and a proper drainage system solves this problem. If you have a proper drainage system in your rooftop garden then you can use the rainwater beautifully. The drainage system helps you to store the rainwater for future use. So make a proper drainage system on your rooftop and enjoy the watering work.
9. Contact with a rooftop gardening expert
Creating a rooftop garden is not as easy as creating a garden on the ground. So in the work of creating a rooftop garden you may need the help of an expert. The rooftop garden is not only about buying seeds and planting on the rooftop there are a lot of other work also and gathering experts help you on those work. So hire a rooftop gardening expert and create a beautiful rooftop garden.
10. Add a container for the plant
According to your plan of creating a rooftop garden you need to place the container for the plants. The right container for the plants is lightweight and deep. A wooden or plastic container is better for the plants rather than heavier metal.
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11. Make use of open spaces
After all the planting work you have rarely some free space but you have to use those free space to make your rooftop garden more beautiful and make it feel like a beautiful room. You can use climbing vines or hanging flower containers to make your rooftop garden more beautiful. So try to use the free space in your garden and that makes your rooftop garden more beautiful than you think.
12. Use lightweight furniture
After planting trees shrubs flowers in your rooftop garden now is the time to install furniture on your rooftop garden. Try to install lightweight furniture to avoid extra pressure on your roof. If your use a folding chair and bench that could be nice because you can store that furniture securely when you not using it. So install furniture and sit relax and enjoy your rooftop garden with a cup of tea.
FAQs. How to Create Rooftop Garden: Step By Step
1. What are the main problems of rooftop gardening?
The main problems with rooftop gardening are it is a very costly process it needs a high quality drainage system.
2. What are the main reasons of make a rooftop garden?
In urban areas it is difficult to make an ordinary garden because of the shortage of land. For planting trees in urban areas rooftop garden is the best option. This is the reason behind making a rooftop garden.
3. What are the basic steps of creating a rooftop garden?
The basic steps for creating a rooftop garden are first consult with a building engineer then check your water source after that make minimum space for the garden and lastly chose the right plating medium.
Conclusion
Rooftop gardening is costly and time taking process. Every building is not capable to maintain the weight of a rooftop garden. So you need to consult with a building engineer and study your building materials carefully and then you will understand the right way to make a garden on the roof. We have already know that creating a rooftop garden is not a easy task but if you follow our steps then the task become so easier for you. So follow our steps and create a beautiful rooftop garden