Rooftop gardens

[claudine]

Wow, some of these earthships look really interesting, thank you ChanellG. I like this:

Although I must say that in my opinion they're not nearly as romantic as regular houses with grass on their roofs
This is a photo taken in China, they have not only rooftop gardens but also houses on roofs :

 

[ChanellG]

@Maddie, why do you think the plants would burn up? You would use native plants and if you had a couple of those beautiful Java Cassia trees around, you'd get some of the natural cooling provided by the shade of them

@Victor I would imagine that there is some sort of barrier to keep the roots from causing any damage.

@Claudine, I had a feeling you would like the earthship design. I hadn't seen any like the one you posted with the water. That's a neat idea if you live in an area where you would never have to worry about flooding.

The picture from China reminds me of the rooftop of one of the local hotels here. I've never been up there, but you can see the building on top from all over the area and it's so unusual compared to every place else.

 

[thenextGeek]

@Victor

I think that if your roof is cement then there is absolutely no way for the roots of plants to get in and cause damage.

 

[ChanellG]

Cement forms cracks. Haven't you ever seen ferns or other plants growing from the sides of buildings or coming up from sidewalks? The best thing is to put down the liners that discourage weeds, but there are a lot of factors to consider, like weight.

 

[claudine]

Wow, this looks surreal . Is this a restaurant or maybe people live there like it was a normal house, not a house built up on a rooftop?

 

[ChanellG]

Would you believe I never even knew which building it was until recently? Since I know where it is I used Google Maps to locate it so I could find a picture and post it. I had no idea it was part of that hotel! I now know it's a restaurant. There's a pool up there also.
Hotel Monteleone History

 

[claudine]

Oh, it's wonderful! I'd love to eat a delicious meal in a restaurant like this

This is another pretty picture:

Yes, I'm obsessed with houses like this

 

[Victor Leigh]

Cement forms cracks. Haven't you ever seen ferns or other plants growing from the sides of buildings or coming up from sidewalks? The best thing is to put down the liners that discourage weeds, but there are a lot of factors to consider, like weight.

That's right. I have seen those old concrete buildings where some birds dropped seed somewhere on a ledge high up out of reach and over time, the seed grew into a small bush with roots that went into the cracks of the concrete and eventually cracked the concrete.

Off-hand the only lining that I can think of that's root-proof is plastic.

 

[bellahpereira]

These pictures are all amazing! I too am in love with rooftop gardens. I even started a petition to have one made in my high school and they did it! It was the best thing that I had experienced in all four years I think they are incredible gorgeous and help the environment a lot. Why have a garden on the floor when you can have it on your roof?

 

[dhrynio]

I love the idea about rooftop gardens! They are such a great way to escape the city and feel like you are in the your own little greens pace! Some of those pictures are amazing!. Our friends in Warsaw have the top apartment and they have an amazing rooftop terrace and she grows so many things up there. When you are there you do not feel like you are in the city!

 

[SweetBeast]

Claudine, thanks for the thread & photos & to all for their input! They are very beautiful & as Danni said, one can live in a big city, yet open a door & leave that city behind for as long as you choose!

I mistakenly started a very small, but lush garden of grass on my neighbor's roof, for which I need to find a way to remove, for the reasons Chanell & Victor mentioned.

I live in a 2nd story condo & my neighbor's roof is around the corner from my deck. I feed many wild birds & a year ago, I was tossing seed on the roof so the birds could spread out & enjoy some food, cat-free! But they obviously didn't eat it all as a small garden of grass has sprouted - very nice to look at, but I need to get it removed, & since I can't reach it to manually remove, I will be buying some weed killer to spray over with the hose.

Claudine, I see you are also a fan of Audrey Hepburn! Have you a favorite film of hers? Mine would be Roman Holiday then Funny Face! But I also love her as Eliza in My Fair Lady, Sabrina, & Holly in Breakfast at Tiffanys! But I have always had one thing bother me in Breakfast.... & that is the stereotypical role Mickey Rooney played of the Chinese man upstairs - so far over the top & to me, insulting to Asians in general. I know Caopte wrote it that way & the screenplay juiced it up, so Mickey was acting the part the way it was written. I loved all the Mickey Rooney films when he was a young man.

Again, thanks Claudine!

 

[Tmann]

I thought about building one of these on my pump house for my pond. It would only be abut 2.5'x 3' though.

 

[Arzosah]

Loving all these pictures of rooftops and the gardens and other buildings, how absolutely wonderful Within a city, a rooftop garden must create a little oasis of peace and calm - sorely needed these days. And when space is at such a premium, then to use every bit of space we can is a really great idea.

I'm loving the pictures of the animals on the rooftops too they're great. That doesn't happen in this country (the UK) except for the odd earthship thats been specially constructed, but I have experienced it a few times. Once, in the middle of Izmir, which is a big city on the western coast of Turkey. I was staying there one winter, and walking up a stone stairway to a park I'd seen, and I heard a bleating sound - it was a sheep on the second floor of a little apartment building. I haven't scanned that photo in to the computer yet, so I can't upload it ... hopefully I'll get round to it soon

The other was at a safari park in Africa, in Zimbabwe. There's a huge problem with baboons - they jump onto people's backs to try to undo rucksacks and break into cardboard boxes, and they certainly run about all over roofs. It *is* disconcerting - they're so fast, and so active and destructive, they're not just sitting about like a sheep munching grass

I tell a lie about it not happening in this country - cats! Cats and squirrels on shallow roofs, they love it!

 

[Trellum]

I love rooftop gardens, but I don't think I'll need to resort to using the roof to create a garden, at least not in the Netherlands I think people over there have a lot space to have their own gardens in their own patio. I'll be there very soon, so I'm really excited I've never seen a rooftop garden in the place where I live, I think most people over here prefer the avarage garden over the rooftop one. Plus most of our houses have plenty of space for a garden

 

[Trellum]

A supermarket? It's wonderful! In my area supermarkets are the ugliest buildings. I wish they had rooftop gardens.
This is pretty:

And this looks like it wasn't planned... but still, it looks pretty:

Those pictures are amazing, but the second picture made me tremble I wonder if the people who live in that house aren't afraid this place might actually collapse, specially with those huge trees growing on the roof I love rooftop gardens, but I think that having a pine tree on top of a house is too much. If you ask me... I think the roof in the second picture is about to collapse, it's a beautiful view tho

 

[claudine]

Lol, you are right, I haven't thought about it. Living under a tree may be dangerous. On the other hand, it looks so pretty. I think that I could take the risk
This is such a gorgeous place:

 

[ChanellG]

I love rooftop gardens, but I don't think I'll need to resort to using the roof to create a garden, at least not in the Netherlands I think people over there have a lot space to have their own gardens in their own patio. I'll be there very soon, so I'm really excited I've never seen a rooftop garden in the place where I live, I think most people over here prefer the avarage garden over the rooftop one. Plus most of our houses have plenty of space for a garden

Growing plants on the roof isn't always about gardening: https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/green-roof-anyone.1380/

@claudine Have you heard about the High Line in NY City? They converted an elevated rail into a park with a similar concept to rooftop gardening.

See more at: http://www.thehighline.org/

 

[claudine]

No, it's the first time when I hear of the High Line in NY City. The picture is absolutely gorgeous, I adore it! I assume that it's allowed to walk there? I love finding such beautiful, green places in big cities. I couldn't live away from a big city, but I can't imagine living without plants either, so it's a perfect combination.

 

[ChanellG]

No, it's the first time when I hear of the High Line in NY City. The picture is absolutely gorgeous, I adore it! I assume that it's allowed to walk there? I love finding such beautiful, green places in big cities. I couldn't live away from a big city, but I can't imagine living without plants either, so it's a perfect combination.

Yes, that's the whole idea; you can even sit and eat there and at least one place serves wine. Did you click on the link under the photo? You can read about the history of the park and the features on the site. I have it pinned to my destinations folder on Pinterest as a place I plan to visit.

 

[claudine]

Oh, I haven't noticed the link, sorry. It's such a gorgeous pace, I would love to visit it too, I wish it wasn't so far away. I would sit there with a glass of white wine, it would be perfect. I always thought that NY City isn't too pretty but now I changed my mind.