Roof gardens

[Click pictures to enlarge]

I spent most of the day trotting about various rooftops. The schematic above shows what I hope the finished garden will look like, on a rooftop in Chelsea. The project consists of two terraces and a balcony and they are an absolutely blank canvas right now. This morning the upper deck was being delivered: it is a six flight walk-up. Phew. The finished deck will be made of removable pallets made of ipe, a fire-retardant wood. There will be slatted fences on both sides on the main terrace, with interior lightboxes which will provide stripes of light at night. And plants. There will be lots of plants.

The roof, even in this mild, unseasonal weather, is absolutely baking. The old deck was ripped out weeks ago, the waterproof membrane restored and painted with sealant, and then we were good to go. I can't do a reveal yet, so all you're allowed to see are my toes, poised on the edge.

One of the things I love about visiting rooftops in the city is that I see all sorts of tucked away green places that are normally hidden. These are some of the neighbours' gardens. Ours will be a little more...comprehensive, but I find these little ones lovely, like little beacons of hope and happiness.