Got a rooftop or about to have one and not quite sure what to do with it? If that’s your case, let’s have a chat and whenever you need, just give me a shout.
Living in the city is always a challenge, you end up trading green open spaces for greyer views!
But you can make that rooftop proper cosy with just a little bit of planning.
If you live in a building with a rooftop for collective use, you can also consider these tips for a bit of fun up there and make everything a bit cosier for all the residents.
Generally speaking, you need to know:
What to plant
A cosy rooftop is usually a bit of every season all in one day! It can be super sunny, very windy, humid and with our climate, even have a bit of snow.
But lucky for us, some plants love this chaos and you can start with hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
Ornamental grasses like stipa or carex... also if you want to add some colour, don’t forget to consider sedums and sempervivums.
Depending on the time of year you’re planting, consider lavender too for that cosy Mediterranean rooftop vibe, a bit of scent and a treat for bees and all the local wildlife.
Marigolds or echinacea can also be tough options and great for supporting wildlife.
Edible gardens are also lovely but remember, if it’s a shared space, whatever the garden produces belongs to everyone.
What not to plant
Avoid plants with very large root systems. Remember you don’t have much soil depth.
Bamboo, for example, is gorgeous, and with a bit of wind, even more beautiful and musical, but it’s super invasive, it can even pierce through the floor… which in this case, is someone’s ceiling below… better not risk it!
Depending on the structure of your rooftop, if the engineer was good and it’s super solid, great, but if not or if you’re not sure, better to avoid very heavy pots too.
Heavy planters aren’t a good idea either. Remember, their weight when soaked and/or with snow and other bits can double.
Another tip is that in most rooftops I’ve worked on, there’s no water source up there. If yours hasn’t got one and you don’t fancy running pipes up, avoid plants that need loads of water, like hydrangeas for example.
Hauling a watering can up there five times a day is a brilliant workout but it’ll knacker you… better avoid!
Prepping your new/future cosy rooftop garden
First thing to do is check the weight limit. Most rooftops can handle something between 220-330 lb per square metre, but always err on the side of caution. Don’t get too close to the limit, leave a nice safety margin so you can sleep peacefully!
Consider using fibreglass planters, peat-free compost and so on, keeping everything as light as possible!
Next step is checking the waterproofing, check it properly, causing a leak into your neighbour’s ceiling below would be a headache no one wants.
Finally, check the drainage, poor drainage is bad news. Check where the water’s running off, if it’s really getting to the drain, if the drain’s clear. During colder months… try to protect it from clogging.
Here you’ll need to invest a little, both in waterproofing and drainage! Do it properly alright!
And the furniture?
Here the sky’s the limit to make your cosy rooftop just the way you want it, but some tips I can give you, especially because of our dodgy weather, is to use foldable and water-resistant stuff… something like aluminium or recycled plastics.
Outdoor rugs (yes… they exist and they are among us).
A fire pit? There’s nothing better than a fire pit but do check local laws first. Some places you can’t have one or it needs to be a specific type (with regulated height and width).
Storage is also a great idea! You can use benches with compartments to stash away tools, blankets… throws etc.
PS: if it’s easy to access, using old wood logs as benches looks brilliant too… but you’ll need to treat the wood! Don’t just chuck it up there or it’ll rot!
Little Touches for Big Impact
• String lights: Drape them overhead like urban fairy lights. Solar-powered = no trailing cables = no tripping over your own ambition.
• Mirrors: Strategically placed to bounce light and trick the eye into thinking your 10m² plot is Versailles.
• Vertical gardens: Use pallets or hanging pockets for herbs and strawberries. Perfect for hiding ugly walls (or that view of the car park).
Your rooftop won’t be Kew Gardens. It might sway in the wind, attract seagulls eyeing your snacks, or occasionally flood. But that’s the charm.
Throw in a hammock, a stack of second-hand books, and a thermos of something strong, and suddenly, the city feels a little quieter.
A good material in the video below too!
