There’s no denying that observing a beautiful garden is satisfying. Aside from the beauty of perfectly landscaped greenery and colorful flowers, the wildlife attracted to a garden is stunning. Birds, squirrels, butterflies, dragonflies, and other beautiful creatures are naturally drawn to nature, even when constructed by man.
What better place to plant a garden than on the roof of your home or business?
You can’t build a garden on a traditionally sloped roof
Well, you can, but it won’t be easy to tend! A flat roof provides safe and easy access to your green paradise. Flat roofs are also waterproofed, so you don’t need to worry about rain damage. Besides, when you build a rooftop garden, you’ll welcome all the rain you can get.
As described in the guide, Making The Most Out Of Your Flat Roof, modern flat roofs are made from high quality, durable materials like synthetic rubber, PVC, vinyl, modified bitumen, and metals. The guide explains that synthetic rubber is a popular choice due to its resistance to heat, ozone, and adverse weather. Rubber also insulates electricity and doesn’t pollute rainwater, so you can safely harvest the rainwater that runs off your roof.
Having a flat roof gives you the freedom to enjoy more of your home. You can create a rooftop terrace that resembles your favorite rooftop bar, or you can plant a beautiful rooftop garden. You can even create a combination of the two with the right planning.
If you love to sit in your garden and observe the world around you, a rooftop garden will give you a higher vantage point and you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world.
Although rooftop gardening has been around for millennia, modern homeowners are beginning to see the benefits. Rooftop greenery is aesthetically pleasing, creates a habitat for birds and winged creatures, and also prolongs the life of your roof. The best benefit, however, is that a green roof insulates your home in winter and summer, saving you a good chunk of money on your energy bills.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes an even bigger benefit to humanity. Green roofs en masse decrease the heat in cities that causes higher temperatures in urban and suburban areas. Expanding the amount of greenery in an urban area can decrease temperatures significantly and reduce smog in the process.
Decreasing temperatures city-wide creates a trickle-down effect of decreasing the energy bills of its residents.
Endless ideas for your green architecture project
CNN published a collection of twelve stunning photos depicting urban green architecture, including the world-famous and award-winning “Vertical Forest” in Milan.
When you can’t build out, build up!
Designed by Boeri Studio, “Bosco Verticale” is a 27-story apartment skyscraper that “optimizes, recuperates, and produces energy” all from plant life. Milan is one of the most polluted cities in all of Europe, and this building helps to balance that out. This green wonderland filters dust particles, produces humidity to absorb CO2, produces oxygen, and protects the building from noise pollution.
Each apartment has its own balcony with deciduous trees to provide shade in the summer, and let the sun shine through bare branches in the winter. The building recycles it’s greywater to irrigate the plants, and utilizes photovoltaic energy systems to sustain self-sufficiency.
The vertical nature of Bosco Verticale is a space-saving solution to utilizing nature to heal our world.
Simplicity is beautiful, too
Some homeowners install rooftop greenery that doesn’t require much maintenance, even on sloped roofs. You don’t need to get fancy to benefit from this trend. Just planting grass on your rooftop is enough to regulate the climate in your home and add a touch of nature to your property.
If you own a larger home, check out these 30 beautiful ideas for creating a green rooftop haven. Some rooftop gardens are even more elaborate than the ones that exist in the backyard.
Create a rooftop garden to help yourself and the world
Whether you grow vegetables, flowers, or grass, having a rooftop garden is a great way to naturally reduce the amount of pollution in your area. Every roof that goes green makes a significant difference. You’ll save money on your energy bills and contribute to saving the environment. Depending on your neighborhood, it just might increase your curb appeal, too.
