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Evaluate the loading capacity -

It may not sound glamorous, but before you even think about buying plants for your beautiful rooftop garden, you must first understand the roof’s loading capacity.

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Evaluate the loading capacity -

This is essentially how much weight your roof can hold. The best idea is to contact a structural engineer who can advise you (there should be plenty with their contact details on websites like Yelp).

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Check that you have permission -

Another boring but important step is to check that you’re allowed to plant a rooftop garden. The first place to check is municipality codes: do they allow such a thing?

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Check that you have permission -

If you live in a rented apartment, you will also want to check with your landlord. And if your place is in an historic neighborhood, you should check for any further regulations.

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Monitor sun exposure -

This might sound obvious, but it's understandably a forgettable step. It's very important that you know exactly how much sunlight your plants will be receiving each day.

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Monitor sun exposure -

Bearing in mind that your garden will need between six and eight hours of sunlight every day, measure your rooftop exposure over a period of two weeks to see how much light it receives.

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Monitor wind exposure -

In the same vein, you need to know how much wind your rooftop garden will be exposed to. Bear in mind that wind can be damaging to plants and that wind gets stronger the higher up you go.

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Monitor wind exposure -

You can measure wind with a device such as a weather vane, or you could just pop up there yourself on a number of occasions and check. If the wind is strong, you may need to invest in trellises.

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Map it out -

Now we’re getting to the fun part: it’s time to plan your garden. Start with a simple sketch of your garden space and then draw in where you want your plants and furniture to go.

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Map it out -

This is an important step because it will help you keep your garden organized. And don’t worry if your ideas change—you can always go back and edit your plan.

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Choose strong plants -

When it comes to choosing plants for your garden, it's a good idea to choose species that are drought and heat resistant. These plants are more likely to survive infancy.

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Choose strong plants -

Examples of plants that do well in hot and dry weather include ornamental grasses, honeysuckles, and magnolias. They will of course need regular watering, however.

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Choose native plants -

It is also a good idea to choose plants native to your area, if you can. Native plants will be more likely to survive the particular climate.

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Choose native plants -

They are also more likely to attract native fauna, such as birds and butterflies. If you want to encourage this, you could consider placing some feeders in your garden.

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Choose ornamental trees -

Large plants and trees are nice, but they are heavy and take up a lot of space. It's a good idea to go for smaller, ornamental trees and shrubs if you can.

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Choose ornamental trees -

Place your small trees in stable containers, protect them with windbreakers, and trim their roots every few years to keep them from getting out of control.

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Choose small-leaved plants -

Again, big flashy plants with large leaves are lovely, but they are more likely to get battered by the wind. For that reason, it’s better to go for plants with smaller leaves.

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Choose small-leaved plants -

Small-leaved plants are more likely to survive in the rooftop environment because they won’t get knocked about so much by the wind.

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Connect a hose -

Again, an obvious point, but perhaps easily forgotten: you need a way to get water to your plants. Unless your roof gets enough water for a storage system, your best bet is a hose.

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Connect a hose -

Have a look for a water tap or line on your roof and attach a hose. If you can’t find either of those things, you’ll have to come to terms with using the good old watering can.

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Place your containers -

Once your space is ready and the plans are in place, it’s time to place your containers. When choosing plant containers, try to go for something light and deep.

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Place your containers -

This will help you avoid overloading your roof and ensure that your plant containers have enough space to accommodate your plants’ roots. Place them as you planned in your map.

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Get planting! -

Finally it’s time to get those plants in their pots. When it comes to plants, you can raise them from seeds or you can transplant seedlings from nurseries.

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Get planting! -

Seeds are far cheaper, while seedlings are stronger and more likely to survive. An alternative option is to plant your seeds inside and then relocate them to the roof as seedlings.

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Add a trellis -

As discussed before, protecting your plants from the wind is an important consideration. The most popular way of doing this in a rooftop garden is to use a trellis.

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Add a trellis -

Trellises are preferred because they don't get knocked over in harsh weather. You can either build a trellis or make it from scratch, but be sure to place it in a way that blocks the wind.

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Add furniture -

Once your plants are in, you can add your furniture. As with your plant containers, try to go for lightweight pieces so as not to overload your roof.

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Add furniture -

Foldable furniture can be a good option, as it is lightweight and can save space. It's a good idea to tether your furniture to immovable objects, or fold the furniture when you’re not there.

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Make good use of space -

Perhaps easier said than done, but try to make good use of your space. An important thing to bear in mind is that you can use vertical space as well as horizontal ones.

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Make good use of space -

If you focus too much on your horizontal space and completely fill the floor, the garden will feel cramped. Think instead about climbing vines or hanging containers to create more space.

Sources: (WikiHow)

See also: A stroll through the world's most beautiful gardens

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