Terrace Gardening Part I: Technicalities

       Getting a garden made on your terrace is a beautiful and environment friendly concept. Imagine relaxing in your own personal haven of a garden after a gruelling day at work. Living in a concrete jungle and not living on the ground floor is no more the limitation for having your own garden as Terrace Gardening is the answer to this limitation. People who enjoy gardening were unable to do so because they were living on the higher floor without the access to the ground for gardening; but now more and more people are opting for using the roofs and terraces of their houses for a greener purpose.

       One can plan and make their own terrace garden quite easily, but there are certain Technicalities that have to be kept in mind which are discussed in this article. Also it is advisable if you can get opinions of professionals on these technicalities.

       Strength: You have to make sure that your terrace/roof is strong enough to bear the load that would be added by the plants, the soil and any other features that you would be adding to your Terrace Garden.

   

       Drainage: The terrace should have adequate drainage to help drain out the excess water that would be constantly used for watering and cleaning the garden.

       If you are planning to use more of planters then you can make do with a normal drainage system but if you want to have grass and more plants on the roof surface and you are planning a garden bigger than 500 sq. ft. then you have to get drainage chambers made to help in the drainage. They are to be constructed at various places on the terrace with pipes leading towards the main drainage holes. Also they are quite useful for countries like ours as we get heavy rains in the monsoons. The drainage chambers also prevent water from stagnating and hence from seeping in the roof. These chambers should be made as such so that they get covered when the garden is complete. Professional help is required for the construction of drainage chambers.

      Waterproofing: Your terrace should be waterproof so that the walls do not end up getting damp marks. Also before constructing the garden, proper waterproofing for the terrace surface needs to be done with suitable waterproof membranes, easily available in the market, so water does not seep in the roof and cause dampness in the floors below.  

         Planning the Terrace Garden: Start with making a layout plan for your Terrace Garden. Decide on the features you want in the garden namely, the plants, seating, lighting and accessories. I’ll be discussing accessories in the next article, "Terrace Gardening Part II: Aesthetics" which is a follow up on this article.

     

         Selecting the Plants: You have to remember that there are certain limitations in selecting the plants as you will be planting them in either planters or on the terrace ground and I am sure you do not want the roots of the plants trying to find their way through the roof floor. Hence plants with fibrous roots and not tap roots are suitable for Terrace Gardens.

         Plants having soft roots like bamboo, money plant, palms, flowering plants (rose, orchids, pansies, etc.) and herbs are good choices for Terrace Gardens. One other option is to go for bonsai plants. They can be easily kept on a ledge or a sill. You can also maintain a small kitchen garden with plants like tomatoes, lemons, chillies, lady finger and some herbs in your Terrace Garden.

       Soil to be Used: The soil or the growing media should be a light one so as not to add undue weight on the terrace. Soil rite or peat moss is a very light and excellent growing medium for terrace garden. However because of its cost it is best to prepare a growing medium with a mixture of garden earth, manure and soil rite or peat moss.

         Construction: First step is to spread out brickbats (totally burnt bricks only) of approximately 2” to 4” evenly as per the garden layout. The brickbats are used to facilitate drainage. Instead of brickbats corrugated sheets can as well be used. They have to be placed at a distance of 3" and in such a way so as to lead water to drains. A commercial drainage board can also be used for this purpose.       

          Next step is to spread a wire mesh or a HDPE net over the brickbats. This prevents the garden earth or the manure from getting in the gaps in between the brickbats.

           After this get the drainage chambers, if required, constructed and then spread the growing media. All you have to do now is start planting as per the layout.          

         

         The construction of the garden being done, I would also like to discuss the aesthetic aspect of your garden. Various ornamental and functional features add to the appeal of your garden. In the next article I have discussed these features. Combining the two as per your taste would definitely give you the Terrace Garden you have always dreamed about.