Rooftop Gardens - 14/04/2010

Rooftop Gardens are becoming more popular these days and a lot of research is going in to which species of plants will flourish well and require the least maintenance for these kind of gardens.

There is also research into what types of products should be used for the gardens to make them be able to be retrofitted to any kind of home; due to its lightweight nature and remarkable water holding properties the Water Saving Soil Improver Hydrocell has been greatly beneficial in that process.

Here at Centenary we have an ongoing rooftop garden research project to assist with these findings, and to get the best plants for our climate. Today I am going to share with you some of the information about the project as well as some photos from when the garden was first planted until now, 4 months down the track.

Why Create a Rooftop Garden?

Some of the biggest reasons for Rooftop Gardening stem from the desire for aesthetically pleasing outdoor green space, for thermal and insulation benefits to the rooms directly underneath the garden (and subsequently to the rest of the home or office space), and wanting to help improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions.

In Australia, many people who live in split-level housing find having a Rooftop Garden on the lower level provides a pleasing outlook for the rooms on the upper level of the home.

How Did We Create Our Rooftop Garden?

The garden we have set up on site is a mere 100mm profile, this slim-line design means it carries less weight than other rooftop garden designs. It is a true Extensive Rooftop Garden, designed to be self-sufficient with a minimum of maintenance required. An Extensive Rooftop Garden is usually accessed just a few times a year for weeding or fertilising if required.

It has its own dripline irrigation system, which has been pre-programmed for 2 minutes of water, twice a day. With using Hydrocell Water Saving Soil Improver in the base of the garden, this tiny amount of water will be held in the garden bed and slowly released back to the plants as required.

The plants in the garden have been placed purely for research, to see which ones thrive in the shallow profile that is available to them. Of course, you can plant trees and lawns in a rooftop garden, but the dimensions would differ from the slim-line garden we are talking about today.

Photos of the Progress of the Rooftop Garden

The first two photos are when the garden was first planted out. The second two were taken earlier today, 4 months down the track.

View of the Rooftop Garden when first planted

Close up of the Rooftop Garden when first planted

View of the Rooftop Garden 4 Months on

Close up of the Rooftop Garden 4 Months on

You can see how lush and green the plants are, and how well they have fared in the short four months since the garden was established. We will be monitoring the Rooftop Garden in an ongoing manner and add the valuable knowledge gained from this research to making better gardens for our community.

If you have further questions or enquiries, feel free to call the team on 3373 4900 or ask for Adam Kisnorbo. 

Happy Landscaping!
Karen Francis
Marketing and Design 
Centenary Landscaping Supplies

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