Terrace gardens offer both beauty and functionality, but they can also present a unique set of challenges when choosing the right plants. To ensure your Rooftop garden thrives, it’s essential to consider a few key factors when choosing plants, including sun exposure, soil quality, watering needs, and size.
Choosing the Right Plants for Your Terrace Garden
Before you start selecting plants for your terrace garden, it’s essential to understand the unique environment that a terrace garden presents. Rooftop gardens have different sun exposure, soil types, and watering needs on each level. So, the plants you choose should be adaptable to different soil types and have different water and sun requirements.
- Sun exposure: Choose plants based on the sunlight your garden receives. Sun-loving plants thrive in direct sunlight while shade-loving plants need less sunlight.
- Soil quality: Soil quality varies from level to level, so choose plants that can adapt to different soil types. Some plants prefer well-draining soil, while others require higher moisture content.
- Watering needs: Choose plants that suit your watering schedule. Water-loving plants require frequent watering, while drought-tolerant plants can survive with less water.
- Size: Select plants that won’t outgrow their allotted space and won’t block other plants’ access to sunlight. Dwarf conifers, miniature roses, and small herbs like thyme and oregano are suitable for small gardens, and white hydrangeas, roses, and shrubs are suitable for more extensive gardens.
Best Plants for Your Terrace Garden
Now that you understand the factors to consider when selecting plants for a terrace garden, let’s explore some of the best plants for this type of garden. We’ll break them down by sun exposure, soil quality, watering needs, and size to help you make the best choices for your garden.
Flowering/Sun-Loving Plants for a Terrace Garden
Flowering plants are a great way to add colour and visual interest to your rooftop garden. Here are a few options to consider:
- Petunias: These colourful annuals come in a wide range of colours and are perfect for adding pops of colour to your terrace garden.
- Marigolds: These annuals are easy to grow and come in orange, yellow, and red shades.
- Geraniums: These colourful annuals come in shades of pink, red, and white and are perfect for sunny locations.
- Portulaca: These low-maintenance annuals produce vibrant blooms in shades of pink, yellow, and orange and are great for sunny areas.
Evergreen Plants for a Terrace Garden
Evergreen plants are a great way to add year-round colour and interest to your terrace garden. Here are a few options to consider:
- Curry leaf plant: This evergreen plant is an essential part of Indian cuisine, producing aromatic leaves that can be used in various dishes.
- Hibiscus: This evergreen shrub produces large, colourful blooms in shades of pink, red, and white.
- Bougainvillea: This evergreen shrub produces colourful blooms in shades of pink, red, orange, and white, making it a popular terrace choice.
Vegetable Plants for a Terrace Garden
Terrace gardens are also great for growing vegetables. Here are a few options to consider:
- Cherry Tomatoes: These easy-to-grow vegetables are perfect for a terrace garden and can be grown in pots.
- Chillies: These spicy vegetables come in various sizes and are perfect for adding colour and flavour to your terrace garden.
- Lettuce: This leafy green vegetable is perfect for a terrace garden, as it only requires a little space to grow and can be harvested multiple times throughout the growing season.
- Peppers: These vegetables come in various shapes and sizes and are perfect for adding colour to your terrace garden.
Shade-Loving Plants
If your terrace garden is in full shade, consider the following plants:
- Ferns: These low-maintenance perennials come in various sizes and textures, adding a lush feel to your terrace garden.
- Coleus: These shade-loving annuals come in various colours and add vibrant colours to your terrace garden.
- Caladium: These colourful perennials produce large heart-shaped leaves in shades of pink, red, and white, adding a tropical feel to your terrace garden.
- Ferns: These low-maintenance perennials come in various sizes and textures, adding a lush feel to your garden.
Plants for Sandy or Gravelly Soil
If your rooftop garden has sandy or gravelly soil, consider the following plants:
- Cacti: These low-maintenance plants come in various shapes and sizes and are perfect for dry conditions.
- Sedums: These succulent plants come in various sizes and colours and are perfect for well-draining soil.
- Succulents: These plants come in various shapes and sizes and are great for adding texture to your garden.
Plants for Heavy Clay Soil
If your terrace garden has heavy clay soil, consider the following plants:
- Asters: These perennials produce daisy-like flowers in pink, purple, and blue shades.
- Black-eyed Susans: These perennials produce bright yellow flowers with dark centres and are great for attracting butterflies.
- Daylilies: These perennials come in various colours and produce trumpet-shaped flowers.
Plants for Loamy Soil
If your terrace garden has loamy soil, consider the following plants:
- Dahlias: These showy perennials produce large, colourful flowers in shades of pink, red, yellow, and white.
- Iris: These perennials produce flowers in various colours, from blue and purple to yellow and white.
- Jasmine: This fragrant perennial produces small, white blooms and is perfect for loamy soil.
Water-Loving Plants
If you plan to water your terrace garden frequently, consider the following plants:
- Water lilies: These aquatic plants produce beautiful blooms in shades of pink, red, yellow, and white and are perfect for adding a touch of elegance to your terrace garden.
- Lotus: These aquatic plants produce large, showy blooms in shades of pink and white, adding a tropical feel to your garden.
Drought-Tolerant Plants
If you plan to water your terrace garden infrequently, consider the following plants:
- Aloe Vera: This succulent plant is easy to grow and produces a medicinal gel beneficial for various skin conditions.
- Pachysandra: These low-maintenance perennials come in various sizes and produce clusters of small white flowers in the spring.
- Lavender: This fragrant perennial produces clusters of purple flowers and is excellent for attracting bees and butterflies.
Size Considerations
When selecting plants for a terrace garden, it’s essential to consider the size of the plants and how they will fit in with the garden’s overall design. Here are some plants to consider based on their size:
- Groundcovers: If you’re looking to cover a large area of your garden, consider groundcovers like creeping thyme, ajuga, or sweet woodruff.
- Mid-sized plants: For mid-sized plants that will not overpower the garden, consider plants like salvia, yarrow, or coreopsis.
- Tall plants: For plants that add height to your garden, consider plants like coneflowers, tall phlox, or black-eyed Susans.
Conclusion
Selecting plants for a terrace garden can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s essential to consider factors like sun exposure, soil quality, watering needs, and size when choosing. By selecting the right plants for your garden, you can create a beautiful and thriving space that you’ll enjoy for years. Whether you’re looking for sun-loving plants, shade-loving plants, or plants for a specific type of soil, plenty of options are available to make your terrace garden successful.
