August 24, 2015
Rooftop Ideas for Grounded Gardeners
On my quick skip to Toronto in June, one of my favorite excursions was to the innovative, socially-conscious
Hugh Garner Housing Co-op, where a rooftop garden greets the skyline.
Up here, residents don’t have to leave home to enrich their spirits with the sights and scents of a garden.
Wildlife quickly made it home, too. Clusters of plants and diverse species ensure that somebody’s always on tour.
Designed for mobility access, I can easily see these raised beds complete with seats in a grounded garden. You can prune or plant with ease, or just sit around, cool drink in hand.
And like grounded gardeners, why dine inside when airy, shading arbors invite a picnic in your own little park?
Raised beds make it easy for residents who want to get hands-on. Wherever we live, what a perfect solution for wheelchair access or folks no longer able to grub around on their knees! Plus, they’re ideal for soil-challenged gardeners or simply to spice up a flat grade.
Little rolling cart gardens are such a great idea for any small space gardener. Move them out to sun in winter and into shade in summer. Rain bomb coming just as you seeded? Wheel them out of the drowning zone. Plus, they’re easy to cover when hard freezes are forecast.
To water resourcefully, the designers constructed a storm management system to collect 1000 cubic feet of rainwater under a paver walkway.
Back on the ground in Toronto, this gardener topped her cute shed with sedges, grasses and other plants I can’t possibly identify!
To simply grow up to the roof, on their patio they fabricated trellises from scavenged finds to cool and soften the brick exterior.
Thank you to Ontario organizers, Helen Battersby, Sarah Battersby, Lorraine Flanigan and Veronica Silva for widening my garden horizons and friendships!
Read more about the Toronto Garden Bloggers Fling.
Thanks for stopping by! More on my adventures soon! Linda