My Roof Garden

The Garden I built on our Galvanized Roof 

My special bonding with plants started when I was in grade 6. The unpaved roads of my hometown were lined with evergreens laced with colorful flowers. On my way home, I would get a cutting of each variety per day. Planting those cuttings in  tin milk cans filled with soil readily lined on top of 4 old logs, formed into a square, was such a solemn ritual for me. My days were filled with expectations, eagerly looking forward to my rendezvous with my cuttings as they sprout into robust plantlets. Witnessing flower buds bloom into full glory amazed me no end: such phenomena of life made my supposed to be growing up pains pass unnoticed.

My 2 boys grew up with plants in every house we lived in, no matter how small the area was. When they were toddlers, my little garden was just a little nook at the landing of the stairs. 

After a series of house hunting, the decision which one to buy was sealed in by the mango tree, coconut tree and caimito tree in front of the lot. Without taming the luscious branches of my plants, my garden here became a little jungle.

The need to transfer residence came when my children needed more freedom as they entered college. With a house close to their campus, there was no more need to fetch them after their erratic college schedule. But being in the busy sector in the city, the only garden I could afford was a small plant box in front along property line. 

Front property line plant box
My husband suggested that the galvanized iron roof at the back be converted to concrete so I could still have my garden. However, no matter how much we stretch our budget, the idea would not really be feasible. So I just content myself with ferns and purple bells covering the concrete wall at the back. 

Nevertheless, my green thumbs got itchy so plants started to abound. Constantly bugged by reminders of rust formation on galvanized iron, I had to come up with strategies to appease my engineer husband but to no avail so I had to trim down the number of my plants to the choicest ones.

Then hubbie's uncontrolled diabetes took hold ending up into two bouts of basilar artery stroke. His erratically high blood sugar needed supplementary herb; and that we found in gynura procumbens. 

With the flourishing of gynura procumbens, we had to come up with the best approach to overcome the limitations of our galvanized roof. We bought a 4 feet by 8 feet, 4 inch thick styrofoam and laid it down over the galvanized iron, put pvc's under for ventilation...and presto, I had a platform on which to put my plastic planters. Two mosquito nets used to lay unused in our closet was dug and used as cover to protect the herbs from pests and harsh environmental elements.  

4 feet by 8 feet x 4 inches stryrofoam galvanized iron roof planter platform

With the success of the stratagem. I got bolder and aimed on growing trees along with other herbs. A podium was constructed for them. With the podium standing on concrete walls from below, we were assured that it could carry a ton without putting extra load on the roof.

Steel roof top plant and tree podium

So placed on it now are lemon grass, citronella grass, pandan, calamansi, dayap, american lemon and kafir lime. 

Actually I have already harvested their fruits

                                  Calamansi fruit                                        American Lemon fruit

On its side standing on the roof are camias, malunggay and lagundi. But of course not one of my planters touch the galvanized iron roof: they are sitting on either styrofoam, plastic pvc or bamboo sheets

On the other side along the concrete wall, I have a sampaloc tree beside orchids bracing the big trunk of another malunggay tree.

One dwarf coconut tree is planted along with a kalachuchi among others.

My herbs thriving well in this milleu with the trees and ornamental plants, beefing up the waning oxygen amid the smog and pollution of the city - what more can I ask for? 

Saga saga (Rosary bead or prayer bead)

                              Makahiya (Mimosa Pudica)                                   Oregano

              Damong Maria (Maiden Wort, Wormwood)                     Sabila (Aloe Vera)

                          Tangan tangan (Castor oil)                                Serpentina (Rauwolfia)

Sambong (Blumea Balsamifera), celery, parsley, cilantro (coriander) partly hidden at the right

Kutchay (Chinese chive)

                           Chocolate mint                     Pansitpansitan (Ulasiman Bato, Peperomia Pellucida)

                     Siling labuyo (Capsicum frutescens , Cayenne)                                         basil

                                 Long Coriander, celery                                    Italian oregano

                                   Citronella Grass                                               Lemon Grass

                       Wild Balete (Banyan tree)                                        Noni trees

And thinking that it will not add any extra burden on our roof, my green thumbs dipped into bonsai growing. Well, my balete tree and noni trees do not look like bonsai yet but I know they are on their way there.

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