How To Build A Rooftop Garden
People living in the urban areas consider rooftop gardens as additions that are not only ecofriendly but attractive. If the place you live lack a yard, you can consider resorting to a rooftop garden which you use to grow decorative trees and grasses, flowers and edible vegetation like the ECO Roof & Solar.
Proper preparation of your roof is the place you should begin your rooftop garden work. How much load your roof can accommodate is one of the factors that you should consider. Seeking the services of a structural engineer is the best way you can arrive at the accurate assessment. The engineer you settle for must have the requisite permits that allow him to undertake business locally.
Knowing the building guidelines that are applicable in your region is highly advisable prior to starting your rooftop garden project. Information will be available to you regarding the applicable restrictions when making the gardens. If you are a tenant, you must seek the permission of your landlord to undertake the work.
You must carefully monitor the exposure of sun on the building where you are doing the project. The importance of this is because the plants that you are going to grow will require ample sunlight each day. Note the patterns of the sunlight during a duration of 1-2 weeks. This helps you to ensure that there are no other structures that are obscuring the sunlight on your roof.
Wind exposure is an issue that requires your correct planning prior to beginning the work on your rooftop garden. The force of the wind is stronger on the rooftop as opposed to the ground level. Structural windbreakers can provide relief to the issue of strong winds as they have the potential of damaging or even killing your plants.
Mapping out your roof gardens design on a graph paper is essential as it will help you plan properly for the project. The locations where you will place the vegetation and furniture should be clearly indicated on the map. In the event you need to make some alterations, you can return to the map and redesign.
In choosing the plants that you will grow on your rooftop garden, it is advisable to choose ones that adequately tolerate drought and heat. Those plants are suitable as they can easily withstand the strong winds. You should regularly water the plants.
Always grow plants that are native to your region in your rooftop garden. Native fauna, butterflies and birds will be attracted to such plants. The plants will adjust easily to the local climate as opposed to the ones that come from outside the area. Your local nursery can provide advice regarding the plants that have a high chance of thriving.