DIY Rooftop Garden
No doubt you have already seen and heard about the green rooftops, however, you would never believe how easy it is to make one. If you want to grow a DIY rooftop garden you have to first learn some basics of green rooftops.
Making of Green Roof
Green roofs have recently started to gain popularity as a very easy and eco-friendly way of roof insulation and a creative way of adding color to the exterior. If you are uncertain of whether your roof is suitable for this project, start on something small like a garden shed rood and contact an engineer. For a DIY rooftop garden you will need:
- marine-quality plywood
- plastic liner
- general compost
- purpose-made sedum roof mats (optional)
So, to start the project you need to measure the rooftop and cut out an equally sized marine-quality plywood and cover it with plastic liner. As you may know, the plants need some space for their roots, so you will need to construct a 2-inch deep wooden planting frame on top of the roof. You need to make a sturdy framework, so the rooftop garden would not fall over the edge.
Then, it is time to fill the space with perlite, insulation and compost. If you are concerned about drainage, drill the wholes in the wooden frame’s bottom edge. To prevent the compost from draining through the holes, put some insulation there. Now it is time to plant the greenery. You can choose any type of low-maintenance plants without an extensive root system. Among the popular choices are Coral Reef (Sedum tetractinum), Angelina (Sedum rupestre) and Spirit (Sedum selskianum).
These plants are popular, because they are drought-tolerant and offer rich coloration. Sedum family of plants doesn’t like wet roots, so it is essential to take care of the soil during fall and winter. If you are really concerned about their roots, you can acquire purpose-made sedum roof mats, which are simple in use: just roll them out on the roof. By the way, this project is by HGTV tutorial.