Terrace Garden – Tips on How to Build and Maintain a Roof Garden

Want to know how to build a terrace
garden? You can get greenery, clean air and organic vegetable by building a roof
garden. Get tips to build a terrace garden.

Topics

How to Build a Terrace Garden

Plants You Can Grow in Terrace Garden

Advantages of Terrace Garden

Mistakes to Avoid

Maintenance Tips

 

As more and more people are residing
in cities, green spaces are continuously shrinking. Due to decreased green
cover, people are increasingly taking to terrace gardens so that they can
relish greenery in the comforts of their homes. Most of the people want to get
greenery but don’t know how to create a terrace garden.

How to Build a Terrace Garden

Plan a Layout

Everything is created twice; first in
mind and then in reality. So, before you start working on your terrace garden,
you should have the first draft of your terrace garden on paper. That means you
should have your terrace garden layout ready.  Create a rough draft and identify the things
you want to have in your garden. The plants you want to include and the
drainage system. You should also identify the shades and the sunny areas and
plan the plants accordingly.

Identifying the Location

The first and foremost thing to
consider while planning terrace or roof garden is identifying a location on
your terrace where you want to build the garden. You must have identified an
area for it. So, if you have a large roof, you need to identify that spot.
However, those with small and shared roof can also add a garden.

Preparing
the Roof                                 

Preparing
the roof should be your next step in building a terrace garden. You should
ascertain that your terrace is waterproof. If it is not, then make it water
resistant so that your building shouldn’t suffer any damage. There are several water-resistant
paints and other solutions are available in the market. However, you can also
engage a consultant to get it done effectively.

Decide on Pots

Planters or pots are essential for a
roof garden. And the next thing you should do is to decide on pots. You don’t
have to go far to fetch these pots of plants as these are locally available. You
can also use the fallow containers available at home. It is one of the major
steps in building a roof garden. Ensure that there is no hole in the bottom. If
there is any, plug them with the materials available in the market.

Give Pots a Personal Touch

Your terrace garden must reflect your
personality. So, you can do it buy customizing your pots. You can paint them
with colors of your choice to give it a personal touch. Use your creativity to
make it more appealing.

Selection of Plants

 A flourishing terrace garden constitutes of
plants. But not all plants are ideal for a terrace garden. You should select
only those plants that can be grown in a controlled environment like a terrace.
You should consult a local nursery and seek guidance on fast growing plants.

Select the Soil

Every plant has a different soil
requirement and you must not ignore it while planning a terrace garden. If you
are covering your entire roof with a single type of soil, then you must ensure
that this soil allow all types of plants to grow.

Keep a Budget

Most of the people searching
information on how to build a terrace garden should be aware that good things
need investment and your terrace garden is no exception. You should keep a
budget for terrace garden. Make this one-time investment and keep reaping the
benefits.

Have Equipment Ready

For planting you require several types
of equipment. You need cutting tools, watering tools and planting tools for
proper maintenance. Shovels, forks, spades, sprinklers, watering cans, hose
pipes, sprinklers, loppers, flower shears, hedge shears, secateurs, hand
pruners, bulb planters, scythes trowels, pruning saws, axes, hatchets, and dibbers
are some of the common gardening equipment.

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Plants You Can Grow in Terrace Garden

With the improvement in gardening and
irrigation technologies you can grow a good number of plants and vegetables in
your terrace garden. Here is the list of plants to grow in terrace garden.

Beans

Most varieties of beans are climbing
in nature and comes with easy fruition time. Plant them near a wall and they
will soon start climbing on a wall. In a few weeks the beans would be available
for your daily kitchen use.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are essential for your kitchen
given its wide range of applications. There are several variants of tomatoes
that can be grown on a large pot. You can also experiment with cherry tomatoes
that are higher in yield.

Lettuce

Lettuce is one of the common types of
plants for grown terrace garden or balcony garden. You can choose a lettuce
plant that grows well in your environment. You need to have a bigger planter as
lettuce require more water.

Cucumber

Cucumber is another kind of favorite
plant for terrace gardening. Growing cucumber needs sunlight, warm temperature
and regular watering. There are several kinds of cucumber plants available and
you should select one that best suits your requirements.

Flowers

Flowers have always been a favorite
for those with a terrace garden. Some of the most popular plants for terrace
garden or balcony garden are Borage, Marigolds, Cosmos, Lavender, Nasturtium,
Sunflower and Zinnia.

Advantages of Terrace Garden

There are times when people are
confused whether to add or not to add a garden to their terrace or balconies.
Here we take you through the advantages of a terrace garden.

Reduction in Temperature

Having a terrace or rooftop garden
reduces the temperature. The temperature of your home can be reduced by 6 to 8
degree. Its cuts your electricity consumption in air-conditioning
significantly. A roof garden also insulates the building against heat and cold.
It is one of the major advantages of a terrace garden.

Organic Food

You can grow fruits and vegetables in your
terrace garden organically that keeps you from the ill effects of pesticides
and chemicals. The produce from your garden is more than enough for your
kitchen. So, if you want to have fresh fruits and vegetables then a terrace garden
can serve the purpose.

Adds to a Healthy Lifestyle

Doing gardening on your own is as good
as doing an exercise. So, you don’t have to spare extra time for exercise. By
working in the terrace garden, you will also be inhaling fresh air which is
extremely good for your lungs. It is one of the major side benefits of a
terrace garden.

Cuts Pollution

A green cover on your terrace also
helps in controlling pollution which is one of the major problems in cities.
Plants in your terrace garden adds oxygen to the air that increases the quality
of air. It is a valuable benefit of a terrace garden. Having a green cover also
controls sound pollution. As sound pollution has a direct impact on health
controlling it would be directly benefitting to your physical and mental
health. You can also build a balcony garden as it also controls the sound pollution
effectively.

Proximity to Nature

Living life in proximity to the nature
is key to the happy life. Many doctors and psychologists have advocated it. As
most of us know that the vast stretches of greenery are rare in cities so your
terrace garden will fill the void.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Building
a Terrace Garden