This rooftop garden proves that you don’t need a lot of space to create an oasis for humans and wildlife
Each dayspring my cooperator , Steve , and I head up to our rooftop to recognize thebeesas they begin their days ’ work . After all , prison term is dearest . While I sometimes struggle to spend 15 minutes saying my morning hello before heading off to work , thepollinatorsare always up there , rain or shine , all day and all night , whether we ’re up there enjoying our garden or not . Ultimately , that ’s why we opted to plan ouroutdoor spacewith a expectant ecological agenda in mind .
After all , clip is honey .
The only thing that made purchasing our Chicago condominium more sympathetic than the rooftop was the inspection note that the rooftop pack of cards was rotting and would call for to be supplant . Steve and I both went to school for architecture , so the opportunity to redesign anything was a welcome invitation . For the first growing season , we enjoyed the rotting decking with ourplastic pile , scrap of paper covered in sketches , and a few cocktail while formulating the new aim . While my initial inclinations toward the distance were more austere and operose on foliage , I could n’t avail but notice the number ofpollinatorsthat showed up to our small ingathering of containerized plants no matter what time of day we were on the roof . I gain that although my potted exploratory perennials were just a mental block away from Chicago ’s Lincoln Park , they were provide much more than the mownlawnsandmulchcircles nearby . That led me to determine that the flora palette would not be a colour scheme , but food , housing , and a dependable space . My preference for clean , muted colors would retrieve its moment as a contrast inhardscapeand furniture choices . I alter my blueprint mentation , rewrote the narrative of how the blank would be used , and spend the wintertime refining the programme before our spring building day of the month .
An aerial view of a pollinator pit stop
localise the two outdoor living areas at paired conclusion of the rooftop ensured that the garden in the middle became an everlasting playground for pollinators and bird likewise .
Establish a layout that is pleasing for people and wildlife
I am as much of a collector as I am a gardener , and the two personality trait created quite a dilemma when I faced a special footprint of 611 square feet . My ultimate end was to make the human spaces as efficient as potential by minimize the hardscape step and maximizing the planting arena . Through various loop I kept get along back to the same scheme for the rooftop : two entertaining areas , delineated by a catwalk , which would be compressed between large planted spaces . As a bonus , this setup break the pollinators and bird their infinite , freestanding from the humans . Proportionally , it allow for enough space for us to entertain our friend and to enamor our coveted view of the Hancock Tower , while the compression component allowed for a gravid portion of the cap to be given back to my plant ingathering and , more importantly , our pollinator invitee . When I consider the amount of sentence we would expend outdoors versus the amount the pollinators would do so , it seemed meet that the portion of hardscape palpate supplemental to that of the softscape .
It was important to keep the soil depth shoal and below the catwalk decking to create the feeling of walking through a garden rather than through clustering of planters on a roof . Slight topography changes within the square planting module allowed for the sharpness of the “ garden beds ” to be as shallow as 4 column inch or as bass as 12 inches . The greater depth anchors trees placed to screen neighbour and eliminate the need for umbrella . With most of the planting being in 6 inches or less of a very light soil blend , it also became important to choose plant that I conceive would expand in the harsh conditions .
Select “model citizen” plants
bound arrived and the transformation start . Our evenings and weekends ferment into lay drainage tiles and radical roadblock , carry each element of our grime composition up five flights of stair old bag by bag , and discover slipway to get trees through our interior stairwell without anger the neighbors . I treated the roof as my playground , with no heavy planting programme but a ground substance of grasses such as quake supergrass ( Briza media , Zones 4–11 ) , switchgrass ( Panicumvirgatum , Zones 3–9 ) , and autumn moor grass ( Sesleriaautumnalis , Zones 5–9 ) to knit everything together . Inspired by the designs ofPiet OudolfandAdam Woodruff , among others , I sought out workhorse perennial that would provide seasonal interest and pollinator benefits . I began hoard plants I call “ model citizen , ” with criteria build around pollinator biodiversity and maintenance needs , rather than focusing strictly on native plants . By May we were strategically placing Dura - Heat ® river birch ( Betula nigra‘BNMTF ’ , Zones 4–9 ) while boxwood after box of mail - purchase order works hack commence to be position out into the beds .
Each growing season come with an evaluation , follow by improver and subtractions . Standouts such as calamint ( Calaminthanepetasubsp.nepeta , Zones 5–7 ) , ‘ Onyx and Pearls ’ penstemon ( Penstemondigitalis‘Onyx and Pearls ’ , Zones 3–8 ) , and ‘ fall of Jupiter ’ oregano ( Origanum‘Drops of Jupiter ’ , Zones 4–9 ) were expand for their durability throughout the growing season and the bees ’ obsession with them .
‘ Cheyenne Spirit ’ coneflower ( Echinacea‘Cheyenne Spirit ’ , Zones 5–9 ) was trade out in spots for ‘ Pretty Parasols ’ coneflower ( E.‘Pretty Parasols ’ , Zones 5–9 ) and wan purplish coneflower ( E. pallida , Zones 3–8 ) . The new additions provided a ask lighter color within the same genera so our nonmigratory American goldfinches would still have plenty to give on .
My “ theoretical account citizen ” approach was a little too safe at times when it come to size , so I add rattlesnake master ( Eryngiumyuccifolium , Zones 3–9 ) , ‘ Rusty ’ foxglove ( Digitalisferruginea , Zones 4–9 ) , and ‘ Lady in Black ’ aster ( Aster‘Lady in Black ’ , zone 3–8 ) for a scale transmutation in the planting . At first the plant pallet approach seemed to be two - sided , with strength and pollinator appeal on oppose sides , but often these two constituent ended up being one and the same . The ecosystem of perennials , trees , and grasses has allowed us to learn the circadian clocks of honeybee versus bumblebee pollination times throughout the day , or the preferred singing meter of our house physician katydid ( affectionately diagnose Katy Perry ) , who begin to chirp about the time the lamp chimney swift call it a night .
Rely on neutral tones for the hardscape and outdoor furnishings
My move away from a strict and urbane plant color pallette in favor of more varied blooms and plant choices for the pollinators meant that the surrounding hardscape had to be simplify to tone up down the riot of chromaticity happening on the rooftop . The turnout and parapet walls were paint black for a light background , and the deck color was created custom to resemble a lime tree wash . Neutrals in all shape and forms , including the surrounding buildings , help tame the regalia of reds , oranges , and yellows get wind throughout the plantings .
The furnishing in the outdoor living area are ever changing , but they are maintained in a similar monochromatic fashion . Currently we have opt mostly grays , blackness , and cream tones for those appurtenance . In the futurity we will ensure that any extra hardscape or unexampled furnishings are selected so as not to compete with the vivacious plantings .
With prison term , the plantings change to deal with loss from a hard winter , cockeyed outflow , or dry fall , but the joyousness of gardening is in the experiment rather than always doing what is tried and true . The bees remain to come back for a slightly unlike meal preparation each year , and I too am ready to accommodate as needed . After all , time is beloved .
Hayden Regina is a landscape painting designer and planting interior designer in Chicago .
Photos , except where noted : Danielle Sherry
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Limited space is no excuse for ignoring pollinators.At just over 600 square feet, this Chicago rooftop garden is an invaluable source of food and shelter for bees, butterflies, birds, and various other creatures. It has quickly become an ecological hot spot within a neighborhood dominated by concrete and steel.
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There’s plenty of room for the humans and the insects.At the far end of the deck, an outdoor living room provides great views of the skyline beyond (above). On the opposite end, a dining area complete with a grill provides more entertaining space (bottom). The garden in the middle is a safe space for pollinators to play.
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There’s plenty of room for the humans and the insects.At the far end of the deck, an outdoor living room provides great views of the skyline beyond (above). On the opposite end, a dining area complete with a grill provides more entertaining space (bottom). The garden in the middle is a safe space for pollinators to play.
It’s a wild matrix with refined edges.Within the biggest bed, you’ll find an array of drought-tolerant, free-flowering, tough perennials that are hemmed in by the linear catwalk (above). That same prairie-like composition is found in a large container at the roof entrance, which, along with the birch trees (below left), provides height to the layout. The main draws for pollinators are the bright blooms of plants such as coneflowers and salvia (below right).
Plants must look good in multiple seasons.With limited space, the perennials that made the cut, such as penstemon, had to put on a show from spring into fall. Blooms are the big draw early on, but by autumn the foliage color change is also impressive.Photo: courtesy of Hayden Regina
Subtle color shifts happen all year.While summer is a riot of bright reds and yellows, the garden starts off with slightly softer hues, such as pale pink from various species tulips (Tulipacvs., Zones 3–7) and light blue from an assortment of grape hyacinths (Muscaricvs., Zones 3–9). The pollinators don’t seem to care as long as the supply of blooms is steady.Photo: courtesy of Hayden Regina
