However big or small, outside space is like gold dust in the city. Urbanites are increasingly, if begrudgingly, crossing a garden off their wish lists when searching for the perfect property, but before you resign yourself to a city life spent indoors, raise your eyes to the rafters and entertain the possibility of a roof garden.
The aerial views of cities such as New York and Tokyo are already scattered with pockets of green, breaking up a sea of cement-grey buildings.
London has been a little slower when it comes to roof gardens, but more and more are cropping up as people are beginning to realise that you don’t need to be at ground level to have your own horticultural haven.
The benefits of a roof garden do not stop at providing an enviable viewpoint to enjoy a glass of wine or two on a summer’s evening. In fact, you could find yourself with a potentially-tidy investment if you decide to add one to your home.
Sky-high gardens will retain heat in a building in the winter and cool it in the summer, which could see a very welcome decrease in your energy bills, and the garden is sure to be a selling feature that will ensure your home is fought over by green-seeking buyers, if and when you do decide to move on.
The bigger picture is also bright if roof gardens take off in the city. Towering vegetation will absorb a significant amount of the pollution that surrounds it, in turn, producing more oxygen, absorbing rainfall and lowering local temperatures.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility of creating a roof garden for your home, the first thing to do is to consult a specialist firm, who will assess the structure of your building to see if it is strong enough to support one.
One such company is Ealing-based Urban Roof Gardens, a team of designers who have stunningly madeover a whole host of city rooftops from Berlin to San Francisco.
On average, a roof garden put together by this company’s team of botanical boffins costs £20-30,000.
The designers at Urban Roof Gardens will point you in the right design direction for your space, and can advise on what will grow nicely in your roof garden.
“The plants you choose must be reasonably tough and capable of dealing with dry and windy conditions as they will be far more exposed to the elements at a higher level,” says Sarah Bevin, of Urban Roof Gardens.
“In my experience, grasses, lavender and succulents work particularly well. In less exposed areas you could also plant bamboo, as well as olive and small fruit trees, and don’t forget tomatoes, salads and herbs.”
And so it seems a city postcode may no longer mean a sacrifice of outside space. Things are looking up.
By Sarah Walker
Limited Edition Magazine
April 07
www.lemagazine.co.uk