6 Easy Steps to Create a Rooftop Garden | How to Plant a Rooftop Garden | Building a Living Green Roof:
Rooftop gardens can be grown is three ways. Firstly you can plant a rooftop garden by growing plants in the containers or pots. The container roof garden can be built by putting soil in containers and installing the plants to grow. Secondly you can install your rooftop garden by building raised beds. Fill the raised beds with soil and then plant seeds to grow. The third method to build a rooftop garden is to convert the entire roof into a garden. If you are interest in this type of rooftop garden then please keep on reading. This blog describes the 6 Easy Steps to Create a Rooftop Garden.
Step #1: Collect Information
To plant a rooftop garden you need to learn few things. Firstly you should get information about the different seasons. Secondly learn about preparing the soil. Thirdly know about the flowers, fruits and vegetable you can grow. Fourthly learn about installing plants and germinating seeds. Fifthly maintaining a garden is the real art and you should master it.
Step #2: Planning
To plant a rooftop garden you need to plan few things. Firstly you have to prepare your budget. It will have great impact on the garden decor. Secondly you need to get the planning permission to build a rooftop garden. Many areas have garden height restrictions. Thirdly you need to check the orientation of the roof to get maximum sunlight. Fourthly check the load bearing capacity of the roof. It’s better to hire a professional structure engineer to calculate the strength of the roof.
Step #3: Layout Design
Now you need to get the layout plan of the rooftop garden. Ideally the design should have planters, green space, BBQ area and deck seating. You can also hire the services of the professional landscape architects. They are expert in their field and will help you to build a beautiful rooftop garden. Landscape architect will also help you in selecting the right plants to grow.
Step #4: Buy Accessories, Plants and Seeds
The next move is to start arranging the garden accessories. You need to buy the roof insulation, soil, plants, seeds and gardening equipment. If you don’t have the gardening tools in your home, then buy from some reliable suppliers. Prefer to buy the local plants and seeds. Always check the usable dates of the seeds; otherwise chances are high that seeds will not germinate.
Step #5: Prepare the Roof
It’s time to start the roof preparation. Firstly clean the roof. Secondly prepare the water drainage system to drain out the extra rainstorm water. Thirdly build the planters, raised beds and deck seating. Fourthly waterproof your roof by rolling out the insulation sheets. For water proofing you can also use bitumen coating and plastic sheets. Fifthly install the garden lighting. Finally provide the water connection for watering plants.
Step #6: Fill Soil and Install Plants
The next step is to fill soil in the containers and raised beds. Ideally soil should be fertile for the good growth of plants. Now dig soil for installing plants and sowing seeds. Cover plants and seeds with the soil. Next stage is to water the plants and seeds so they remain moist. Your rooftop garden is now ready. But it is not the end of the story. You have to regularly maintain the garden to grow healthy plants.