“A weed is but an unloved flower.” ― Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Aha! Finally a large space to create that garden you have always dreamt about. Let us now look at the following points which will help in making a roof top garden beautiful-

• If the roof top or terrace is an extension of a room, plan your accessories or flowers that match the décor of your room
• Does the room have French windows? Even better!
• Do some areas receive more light than the others? Plan your plants accordingly
• Use low maintenance plants to design your garden
• Make a list of what you need and only then you’re your purchase

 Kind of plants that would suit the garden – Keep it minimal and simple. If you like green, use palms or bamboo or both, add some color with perennial flowers like the begonias and geraniums. Bougainvillea can add beauty to your rooftop and make sure you plant it where there is full sunlight. Feeling adventurous? Try buying reasonably priced moth orchids and presto! You have an abundance of color on your roof top!

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Fun facts on the Orchid Plant

• Orchids have a face similar to humans! When you look at an orchid, it seems to look back at you.
•  More than 25,000 species of orchids are available and there are more being discovered every day.
•  Orchids deceive insects into pollinating them.
•  Vanilla is a species of an orchid.

An Orchid Pack

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Factors that go in to keep a garden healthy – Whichever garden you create, manage three important things – water, sunlight and fertilizer!

 Accessories you can use to beautify the garden –

• Use Terracotta, ceramic, polymer pots for your terrace.
• Create a bamboo trellis to plant creepers.
• Pebbles are a good accessory to highlight certain areas in your rooftop garden.
• Have a focal point (for instance, a large painted urn) and work around that theme.
• Large plants should be placed in the back and mid-size and smaller plants in the front
• Accessorize as per the size of the roof top and do not let it dominate the plants
• Use hanging baskets to highlight and beautify certain areas.

Garden maintenance – I recommend you use a NPK mix which is available in a garden store, or your local grocery retail store. Use as per directions once in a month. Remove weeds and dried leaves from your plants regularly.  Check with garden store about a pesticide/ fungicide and use that every fortnight.

Would you like us to create your garden for you? Mail us at zensai2015@gmail.com. Don’t forget to mention that you saw us at SiyaWoman to get a special discount!

Read Sheela’s tips on Balcony Gardens and The Rise and Fall of an Orchid here.

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Sheela Kedarinath has around 20 years of varied experience in the corporate world. She has worked in the Corporate Social Responsibility sector and has also been managing administration for an MNC for a long period of time. In her personal life, she is creative and passionate about the various aspects of interior decoration. Sheela’s home and garden are her pride and joy. She has added value to a lot of her friend’s homes and balcony gardens in the last 20 years.

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