Gardening on terrace is not a difficult task; establishing a terrace garden can be time-consuming due to the need to keep numerous factors in mind.
Although we are learning more and purchasing more, the quality of our lives has deteriorated. It isn’t just the air we breathe that’s becoming poisonous; the food we consume is becoming harmful as well. Pesticides and fertilizers used indiscriminately are causing birth malformations and anomalies; cancer is already on the rise, and we continue to turn a blind eye to our acts.
But this does not have to be the case!
You don’t even have to drive 30 minutes to a park or the beach to relax and breathe some fresh air. You can make a big difference by creating a green space in your own house. And it is absolutely not as hard as you may think.
Check On The Strength Of The Terrace
It’s critical to determine whether the roof can support a terrace garden prior to starting up. You may need to get advice from some professional architect to determine whether or not you can create a garden on your rooftop. In addition, if your home is several years old, he may advise you to take some preventative actions to avoid long-term damage.
I can recommend two efficient and promising methods for turning your terrace gardening concept into a reality.
- To avoid roof leaks, the first option is adding an extra layer of cement and sand to the roof.
- The second option is to use chipping or marble flooring, which can effectively prevent water leaks while also strengthening your roof.
Measuring The Size Of The Terrace
Once you’re satisfied with the sturdiness of the terrace, draw a rough sketch of it on a sheet of paper and then design the terrace garden according to your preferences. Do not worry if you can’t draw; this only needs to be one of those rough sketches, like an overview of the terrace, the placements of the items, etc. This is to give you an idea of how the terrace garden would look. It is very important to create a rough sketch as it will make the further steps easier.
Selecting Of The Plants
You have numerous alternatives to choose from here. You can, for example, design a fruiting garden, a vegetable garden, a butterfly tropical garden, an ornamental garden, or any other type of garden you like. Now I’ll give you a quick rundown of a few plants that fit within the above-mentioned gardening categories.
Vegetable Garden
For the vegetable garden, a person may choose the seeds from a variety of perennial plants such as Asparagus, Moringa (drumsticks), Malabar spinach, Taro (colocasia). You can also go for various seasonal herbs such as Coriander, Mint, Fenugreek, and Spinach. The other way can be going for a wide range of climbers such as Bottle gourd, Cucumber, Ridged gourd, Ash gourd, Bitter gourd, and several more of such kinds.
Fruiting Garden
You have a number of alternatives in this category as well. Guava, Mango, Peach, or Plum are examples of fruit-bearing plants that you can grow in the terrace garden. Watermelon, Grapes, Muskmelon, Passion fruit, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Kiwi, are among the vine kinds available.
Ornamental Garden
This type of garden is primarily designed to provide aesthetic value to your home. Plants with colourful leaves, such as Dracaena, Coleus, Aglaonema, Schefflera, Monstera, Croton, and others, can create an ornamental garden. Because these plants have brightly coloured foliage, it is best not to place them directly in sunlight. You could either put them in shady places or shelter them with a green net.
Flowering Garden Or Butterfly Garden
If you want a flowering garden, with absolutely no doubt, one would require flowering plants such as:
- Lantanas
- Texas sage
- Rose
- Oleanders
- Portulacas
- Gomphrena
- Allamanda
- Bougainvillaea
- Hibiscus
- Tecoma
The Type Of Soil
When it comes to creating a garden on the roof, the most important consideration is to put as little strain on the terrace as possible. With this goal in mind, it’s critical to create a soil medium that’s both light and permeable.
For This, You May Consider The Following Compositions.
- 40% of Vermicompost, any compost would work too
- 30% of Garden soil
- 10% of Neem powder
- 20% of Sand
It is strongly advised that you never utilize earthy soil without first combining it with these above-mentioned ingredients. Not only will this safeguard the terrace from the elements, but this mixture may even benefit the plants by giving them adequate nutrients.
Source Of Water
Now that you’ve chosen the pots as well as the containers and you have absolutely prepared the soil medium, hence it is time to hunt for a water supply near the garden area. It is true that carrying jugs all the way first from the ground floor all the way to the terrace to water the plants is impossible. It is preferable if you have a tap or some other means of pumping sufficient water to the patio.
All of the key steps for creating your personal terrace garden are mentioned here in the article. However, we have two additional issues that we would want to express to you.
The first one is the arrival of ants through numerous little holes in the terrace that can weaken it. The moment you notice ants on the roof, take precautions and use ant repellant to drive them at bay.
Terrace Garden Concluding Thoughts
The second point of concern would be that, in certain cases, even sun-loving houseplants are unable to withstand the heat and temperature. You wouldn’t have to move the entire terrace garden to accomplish this. The green net seems to be the only method that will allow the plants to receive adequate sunlight without being damaged.
So that’s it for this time; we hope that by following these instructions, you’ll be able to make your terrace garden a reality. If there’s anything I’ve forgotten, please let me know in the comments section below. Indeed, I’d be interested in hearing from you regarding how you went about creating your own terrace garden.
FAQs Related To Terrace Gardening
What Plants To Keep In My Terrace Garden?
You may think that because the area is small, there will be a limitation of the variety of plants you grow; however, you can grow absolutely anything on your terrace. You may start from flowers, plants, creepers to vegetables and fruits, and it all depends on you.
How To Maintain My Terrace Garden?
When you have a terrace garden, all you need to take care of is the garden should get proper sunlight, it must get proper water supply and soil.
Is A Terrace Garden Profitable?
Terrace gardens are very profitable; it may require a bit of energy and time because it needs maintenance. You may also have to spend a little on the soil, tools, and containers that you will need for the terrace garden.
