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hedge plants on roof planters

adam queadam que Posts: 22
in Plants

Hi

I am looking for hedge plants for my planters on the roof deck in London, UK. Planters are aproximately 200cm length 40cm width and 40cm height. The hedge height should be above 150cm instantly, thus I should be able to get the plants taller than 150cm in the market.

I am looking for evergreen or semi-evergreen hedge. I am not sure what is best for roof planters, though I like spotted laurels (like japanese), leylandiis, thujas.

Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks

«1

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    Hedge plants will need a loam-based growing medium and a lot of it, which in it's turn will hold a lot of moisture.  The weight will be considerable.  What weight will your roof terrace take?

    How high up and how windy is the roof terrace?  I think that many conventional hedge plants will struggle in an exposed windy site.  They will also need a great deal of watering.

    Have you considered using bamboo or other tall grasses as a screen rather than conventional hedge plants?

    image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    My concern is 40cm deep and same width isn't great for something so tall,especially given the fairly hostile conditions of sun, wind etc.

    Can you set up an automatic irrigation system?

    I'd go with bamboo / grasses too. You want to filter wind, not totally block it otherwise I think you'll find them horizontal .

    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142
    Hostafan1 wrote (see)

    ......I'd go with bamboo / grasses too. You want to filter wind, not totally block it otherwise I think you'll find them horizontal .

     

    Or even worse - on top of a double decker bus down below image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    or on top of the neighbour downstairs??

    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    Hopefully Adam has some figures from a Structural Engineer regarding the weight tolerance of the deck image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    and some good anchorage fittings and has read the fine print in his household insurance cover.

    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    It's not that you can't have hedges on a roof - there's a famous one on the Willis Building in Ipswich, but it was designed for it ...

    Hopefully Adam can lay our fears to rest - I'd hate to discourage a creative new gardener image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    The late great Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe did one on a dept store in Guildford and there's the famous Kensington Roof Garden ( now owned by Richard Branson I think )

    Devon.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1517&bih=741&q=wiggins+teape+basingstoke&oq=wiggins+teape+%2C+ba&gs_l=img.1.0.0i24.227.11406.0.14997.25.21.1.2.2.0.474.2679.14j4j2j0j1.21.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..2.23.2597.X96hSzGJZFQ#imgrc=czqETX-H4gZr9M%3A

    I used to drive past this beauty.

    Devon.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    image

    image

     One of Norman Foster's first major buildings, started in 1970 - it was given Grade 1 Listed status in 1991.  Love it image  There's a swimming pool on the top there too (sadly decommissioned at the moment).  


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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