Gardening From The Top
Last month we started a journey to learn some history about gardens. The first garden we read about is in the Bible and God created it. Another garden we looked at became one of the Seven Wonders of the World and included hanging gardens.
Since the ancient world, mankind’s creativity continues to wow the world with beautiful ways to display plants, flowers, and their containers. This month let’s look at rooftop gardens that are also timeless and found in many parts of the world.
Although America is a land of spacious skies, many cites lack the space for a garden like I had while growing up in the south – almost 3 acres! Below is a 3-minute video where you will meet Rossana who lives in NY. Her rooftop garden yields a variety of plants, herbs, and color. She also introduces several different types of containers and why she likes them.
Many of the same principles applied in this video overlay where I currently live in Asia, where space is limited, and rooftops are flat. Here the locals grow herbs in pots, corn in raised beds, bamboo for shade, okra and cucumbers all from the roof. A side note: While walking on a foot path last week, I intentionally stepped over a cow ‘paddy’ thinking, “how did a cow walk this narrow path?” The next day the cow dung was gone, and I knew it went into the garden on either side of the path. Resourcing!
Another unique garden space sits atop of industrial buildings that are almost always flat topped. In this 3:30 National Geographic video, Brooklyn Grange builds an amazing eco system on the top of a business roof. The amount of soil that was blown onto the roof will blow you away!
If you like this information but you are still not sure where to start your own rooftop garden, have a look at the following website for many tips on gardens and how to use what may be hiding in your garage.
Until next time- we will talk about garden spaces and designs. Yes, there can be a rhyme and reason to what you plant and where.
Remember, the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart.
Dr. Michele
