Rooftop gardens have grown in popularity in the past decade. Green spaces are being encouraged in cities and Garden Club has done much to contribute to that. As time progresses, rooftop gardens will become more ubiquitous and you may decide to start one. There are many factors to consider before undertaking such a project as it will require much of your time and energy not to mention that it will be an emotional rollercoaster. However, there are many reasons to do it that will make the journey worth it.
Increasing Outdoor Green Spaces in the Urban Environment
It is now common knowledge that human beings have ravaged most of the natural world. The amount of green, natural spaces, especially in cities, is usually limited to one or two parks. A rooftop garden will add to the amount of square footage in the city that is not completely covered by steel, glass and concrete.
The benefits of spending more time in nature are increasingly being revealed to us by researchers. Better sleep, less stress and better skin health are only a few examples. A rooftop garden will take up quite a bit of your time especially in the beginning. It will mean spending a lot of time outdoors in the sun. More green spaces in the city also mean more clean air. The benefits are innumerable.
Energy Savings
Cities are warmer than other areas like farms or forests because they are made with materials that are very good absorbers of heat like asphalt, steel and concrete. High temperatures in the cities not only from the sun, but from the people living there, means that there is a lot of energy used to cool down the cities.
By planting rooftop gardens on either residential or commercial properties you can reduce the amount of energy needed for cooling the buildings. The National Research Council of Canada has shown that a rooftop garden can reduce building temperatures by as much as half on a warm summer day.
Increase Urban Food Production
Most food in the cities and in the world comes from large commercial farms which are not located in urban areas. Urban food production is very miniscule given that most city dwellers would rather purchase their food let alone cook it so growing your own food in the city will set you apart.
Imagine just walking up to your roof whenever you need some onions, tomatoes, carrots or celery and not having to wait an hour for delivery. A rooftop is a minor but significant step in helping cities become more self-sufficient in food production.
Stormwater Management
Local sewer systems experience heavy loads after storms or heavy rainfall. A lot of that water usually joins up with sewage and drains off into the oceans. If only a small percentage of that water were harvested and stored, there would be a lot more useable water in cities.
Rooftop gardens help do just that. The amount of runoff savings made by rooftop gardens is astounding and if the roof is covered in soil, it will be naturally filtered and reduce pollutants that are often found in city water.
