Urbanization has significantly decreased the amount of land that is available for farming. The great expanses of winding roads, towering department stores, and crammed apartment complexes have spread out so far that there is no longer the same amount of space left over for planting crops. Because of this, most of the people who live in the city don’t have much access to fresh fruits and vegetables outside of a grocery store. So those who can’t afford to regularly shop often just get by with whatever meagre provisions that they can scrape together. But there is a new gardening movement that offers a way to change all this. It is called “urban rooftop gardening.”

Urban rooftop gardening is a creative way to utilize the flat spaces that lie on top of buildings and houses. It can be done one of two different ways. The first method is called “extensive gardening.” All of the plants are kept in pots, which are set into a bed of dirt that lines the roof. The other method is called “intensive gardening” because the plants are placed directly into the soil that the roof is lined with. The roof has to be treated differently for this type of gardening to prevent it from being damaged. However, once it is established, it is very simple to maintain, which is why it is often the best solution for people who want to be able to grow their own food on a rooftop by following the information used in this blog post. But that isn’t the only benefit to keeping a rooftop garden. There are other reasons that urban dwellers are taking up this practice.

Insulation

Both extensive and intrusive rooftop gardening methods use a good amount of soil because it has to be deep enough for the plants to be able to have a healthy root system. And this soil acts like a layer of insulation, which keeps out extreme hot and cold temperatures. So most folks find that they start having lower utility bills right away.

Beautification

Interestingly enough, once one urban rooftop garden is planted, others start to copy the idea. That is because adding luscious plants to the rooftops of buildings also makes the neighbourhood look nicer. Instead of a person seeing nothing but cement when they drive through the city, they get a fabulous view of trailing tomato vines, bushes, and trees. And this boosts the often declining moral that comes with urban life.

Versatility

Just about any kind of plant can be grown on a rooftop if a person uses the proper planting methods, which means that the space can be used in much the same way as it would if the garden was planted in the ground instead. This might sound impossible because of the deep root systems that some plants have. But this is accounted for by laying down a protective waterproof barrier between the soil and the main roof. So the building or house that it is planted on won’t suffer any damages from the growing process.

Those who are interested in adding an urban rooftop garden to their property should be sure that they follow a few steps to ensure that it is a success. First of all, a building permit must be obtained through the local authorities because this type of garden is considered to be a form of construction. Then, the total weight that the roof can hold has to be calculated to determine how large the garden can be. After this, a protective liquid coating and a layer of corrugated metal has to be installed. And finally, the soil and plants can be added. Urban rooftop gardeners should also include a few rain-collecting containers to be sure that they have water for the plants.

What would be your reasons to have a green rooftop?