Tomato Facts

If you live in the midst of the crowded city and have a little roof or balcony area, you have a perfect place to design and build a garden where most never get to grow. Designing landscaping ideas for places like these generally has to address the obstacles of constant severe winds and scorching heat from direct sun. However, with the right planning and planting ideas, you can make a screen to block out a lot of the wind and create a little shade to give protection from the piercing rays of the sun.

The first thing you need to do when you plan a garden like this is to study how the building is built. Pay attention to what materials the roof is made of. Or if it's a balcony, how it is put together. A balcony can be quite a small area - if it is to be loaded with containers (which, with their contents, can be very heavy) it must be able to support the weight. To prevent leaks, small gardens that are placed on roofs should be completely water proof as well as have proper drainage. Safe access to the roof is necessary if it is going to be easy to get to and enjoyed.

Around your roof or balcony garden there is always the possibility of poles or wires. With the right plant placement, these can be masked or hidden. Taller plants in larger containers can also create a screen to block out neighboring views while smaller containers filled with flowers will add some more visual element. Designing roof top gardens is the same as with any small garden, patio, or courtyard, as you should try to not crowd the small area of space that you are limited to. Be sure to plan for a little seating room where you can sit back and enjoy any views that can be saved framed rather than completely hidden from view.

It's often best practice to use long light weight wood planters rather than a lot of small pots as it will spread the weight of the load out over more area. Remember to add some soil moistening and retaining products to your soil mixture. These types of products will help cut back with maintenance needs as plants in a soil mix with these products in it require less daily water. If the roof is unable to hold much weight, you may also consider watering with hydroponics. And since hydroponically grown plants only need liquid and a light base, the pots and plants don't weigh as much as pots full of soil.

Your roof or balcony garden is also a good place to keep a small wormery or a bokashi system, so your precious plants can benefit while you are disposing of household waste in a way that is both useful and ecologically sound.