Greening the roof is a new phenomenon that is gaining popularity today. If you live in your cottage, then there will be no problems with this. You just need to choose a suitable horizontal surface. For example, it can be a roof over a terrace or a bath. It remains to turn it into an amazing garden.
And what about the residents of megacities, who are also captivated and fascinated by this idea? They can also afford to set up a roof garden. To do this, you can use a loggia or an extension, which is sometimes made by residents of the first floors instead of a balcony. If you try, you will get an amazing corner to relax.
Well forgotten old
Indeed, no matter how this idea is presented today, it was beaten many centuries ago. Remember the turf strips that covered roofs in Europe and Russia. This made it possible to improve thermal insulation, as well as protect the thatched roof from fire. After the rains, the turf sprouted and a real roof garden grew.
Of course, he had a low decorative effect. Mowing the grass on the roof was very problematic, so the grass grew in a chaotic manner. But landscape designers have gone further. They are developing dozens of projects, according to whichherbs and flowers are grown directly on the surface of the roof, that is, it is covered with a layer of soil. In other cases, options for placing plants in special pots are thought up. As you can see, a rooftop garden is an idea that can be brought to life in so many different ways.
Features of life in megacities
What is driving the growing popularity of rooftop gardens today? In large cities, the building density is so high that there is almost no space for greenery. People lack freshness and clean air, and therefore they try to make such living corners for themselves. A roof garden can also contribute to the ecology of the city, if this idea takes root in megacities. Today, there are many companies that develop and implement such projects. Landings can be small and serve as decoration. But if you wish, you can grow full-fledged trees.
Commercial buildings
I want to say right away that the roof of the house is a neutral territory that does not belong to anyone. Firstly, floors 9-12 are not suitable for the implementation of such an idea. Few people will see this garden, and it is difficult to take care of it. Secondly, attempts to do any work on the roof are usually prohibited.
Therefore, the roof of the house of a commercial building is a more attractive place. Such infrastructure facilities are visited by many people, often the front part has an underestimated visor, to which you can make an additional exit. Thanks to this, the implementation of such a project becomes possible.
Key benefits anddisadvantages
Greening the roof naturally regulates the microclimate in the building. Such a room itself is cooled in summer and warmed in winter. Key benefits include:
- Good heat and sound insulation.
- Compensation for the area that the house takes from nature.
- You get a recreational area to relax.
The only drawback of organizing a roof garden can be considered a complex arrangement. You will need the help of not only builders, but also professional designers.
Greening methods
Even a small rooftop garden will require some serious effort from you. Modern technologies make it possible to realize almost any landscape objects. It can be a green carpet or a rock garden or a full-fledged garden. But this is not an easy task. It is necessary to take into account the technology of the device of the roofing threshold. Moreover, it is also necessary to take into account the characteristics of roofing plants. Roof greening can be intensive, simple intensive or extensive. They differ in appearance and functionality.
Intensive landscaping
If you own a large cottage and a fairly significant amount of free money, then you can try to master this option. It is planned to create a full-fledged garden on the roof. This is a place for walking and relaxing, here you can hold dinner parties. The choice of plants is very wide. They can be placed on the same level or on different levels.
An exquisite option is a garden decorated with park sculptures, featuring an elegant design. It is very difficult and expensive. A multi-level garden will also require constant maintenance. It is logical that only a thin layer of soil can be placed here, which means that there will be little nutrition for plants.
Simple intensive gardening
The essence remains the same, but the implementation of the idea is much simpler. This is a landing on the roof of herbs and shrubs. The landscape designer has much less choice. Therefore, we are no longer talking about creating a work of art. But you can choose simple plants that are undemanding to conditions. And of course, this option will come out much cheaper. And if you use special flowerpots for planting, then even a novice gardener will cope with the task without involving builders.
Extensive roof greening
In this case, the role of man in the life of the garden is minimal. At the same time, the roof is not operated in any way, and human access to it can be limited. As a rule, plants for a roof garden are chosen from those that grow successfully in the wild in the area.
The main task of the designer is to choose the flora - resistant, tenacious, which is able to recover quickly. This is the easiest way to use the usable area of your roof. The herbs used do not require watering or other maintenance.
Garden use
If you decide to break flower beds on the roof, you need to think carefully where they will be placed. For example, on the roofs of garages and gazebos, an extensive type of landscaping is used. In this case, the load on the building will beminimum. Such a roof does not need to be additionally strengthened. Therefore, to implement such a project, only the desire of the owner himself is needed.
Another thing is if you want to do intensive gardening, that is, to set up a real garden for relaxation. Keep in mind that pitched roofs can only grow an extensive garden, meaning you need a suitable flat surface.
On a flat roof, you can give free rein to your imagination. It all depends on the amount of free time and finances, but, in principle, any project can be implemented. Do not forget about the strength of the building itself and the load that it can endure. You will definitely need an expert opinion on this matter.
Garden Technology
Builders know how the roof works. Here the layers are exactly the opposite.
- Applying a cement-sand screed. It is important to make a slope towards the drain.
- Screed surface treatment with a primer.
- Vapour barrier is a prerequisite. It is bent over all vertical surfaces so that the level exceeds the insulation. All seams must be soldered.
- Next comes a layer of geotextile, usually polypropylene.
- Waterproofing layer.
- Root protection layer. It is needed so that strong plants do not destroy the coating with roots.
Ground for plants
Roof and balcony gardens require nutrient-rich soil. If the plants are in tubs, then a layer of pebbles or rubble is laid on the base. Top coverconcrete slabs - and you can create a combination of flowerpots.
- Where there will be plants, it is necessary to lay a drainage layer. It is connected to a water drainage system. This is gravel or pumice that hides the drain pipes.
- Next, a geotextile filter layer is laid out.
- Soil substrate. It is not recommended to take ordinary land. It should be soil, sand, perlite, peat, clay, that is, mixtures recommended for a particular type of plant.
Planting vegetation
Plants must be resistant to sudden changes in temperature and be able to survive even when the soil is completely frozen. Usually these are herbaceous and ground cover plants, dwarf woody plants, coniferous and deciduous shrubs. It is best to choose samples from domestic nurseries, as they are adapted to growing conditions.
If you want to plant a tree on the roof, then choose the following options:
- Irga is a small shrub that attracts with abundant flowering and a harvest of berries.
- drooping birch.
- Sorbus ash.
- Pine.
- Ash-leaved maple.
They are all good on the roof where volume and color variety is needed.
Herbaceous plants
Rarely is a roof garden project complete without the use of herbs. If you do not plan to use additional watering, then it is quite possible to get by with plants that are resistant to drought. Most often, these are stonecrops of different types and varieties: caustic, eversa, false andother. They will be accompanied by young offspring, fescue and thyme, cloves and hawk. These plants can be planted with roots or scattered as cuttings on the ground and covered with mulch. In addition, landscape designers give these recommendations:
- In the spring, the garden looks rather modest, as the plants are weakened and have not gained color after the winter. Therefore, it is recommended to add bulbous plants. These are crocuses, daffodils, scillas.
- As the simplest option, you can suggest the use of lawn grass. It is best to use the meadow-type variant as it is maintenance-free. But without additional watering, it grows poorly.
- For bright flower beds, you need to choose plants that do not lose their attractiveness during the season. This is a soft cuff, irises, falaris, goldenrod, a variety of geraniums.
Winter gardens
You can talk about the design of the roof garden for a very long time. Another option is the arrangement of a winter garden. To do this, a glass dome is installed on the roof. Depending on the size of the building, you can calculate the need for additional heating and choose plants that will delight you all year round. The winter garden is practically a greenhouse, where even delicate crops can be grown if desired.
