How to maintain a terrace garden?

Watching the first dew drop, crystal clear on the leaves of a plant or catching a whiff of fresh air from your very own terrace garden after a long day gives unequalled pleasure. Even a romantic candle light dinner on the terrace garden is special and unique in its own way. Having a green surrounding in this age of sky scrapers and car packed roads, a heaven inside home in the form of a terrace garden is most welcome.

The very sight of those lush green plants whether it is a simple money plant or something as exotic as a bonsai jewel brings unmatched peace of mind and serenity. Researchers have explained that by having a garden and plenty of plants around you, you are introducing a lot of positive energy around yourself. This will manifest itself as increased productivity at work and a more balanced mind.

A terrace garden is a beautiful part of your home. Terrace gardens are easy to maintain and also are not too heavy on the pocket. Terrace gardens can consist of a variety of plants of your choice. You can design your terrace garden with flowering plants. Ornamental plants or bonsai can also adorn the garden. Play with your creativity and be generous in selecting the plants.

Planning a terrace garden

A terrace garden needs a lot of prior planning. The first thing the owner needs to know is a rough idea as to how he intends to do the landscaping. Plants need water and a good draining facility is of extreme importance. You must not let the water stagnate in the terrace. This could lead to considerable amount of water clogging. A good drainage system involves the technical aspects of making a terrace garden. Get a landscaping expert and ask him to analyse the terrain of the terrace. Check where it slopes. Keep the plants in such a way that the water will drain down. Stagnating water will also lead to the growth of fungus and algae and this besides being unhygienic will also steal the beauty of the roof garden. It would be a good idea to make the terrace waterproof.

Do you plan to have some quiet dinners or a light evening snack up there in your roof garden? If yes, get the right garden furniture.  Go for sleek chairs and a foldable table. This won’t occupy too much space and you can from time to time convert your terrace into a quiet retreat. After the terrace has been water proof and sufficient drainage holes have been fitted, it is now time to bring the plants home.

Choosing the plants

A well designed terrace garden should consist of a good mixture of flowering and non flowering plants. Avoid over crowding the terrace garden and turning it into a dense jungle. Choose from a variety of bamboos for starters. Indian bamboo is a good choice. Then go for some flowering plants. Fragrant flowering plants like button roses add that exotic scent to the air. However, there are some people who aren’t too fond of fragrances. They may suffer from certain allergic reactions to certain scents of flowers. Don’t be perturbed for there are an equal number of plants which bear a bunch of brightly coloured flowers which have no fragrance. For example, crotons and cacti bear very pretty tiny flowers.  Bonsai is fast becoming one of the most popular choice for terrace gardening. Their tiny stature make them fit into any terrace garden with ease.

Don’t limit the plants variety to only flowering and non flowering decorative plants. You could probably try your hand at growing vegetables and fruits in one part of the garden. You can literally have garden fresh vegetables from the terrace for dinner or lunch.

Caring and maintenance

Use a good mix of soil, manure and moss as the medium to grow the plants. Make sure that you are aware of the water requirements of all the plants. Over watering can kill the plants. Time and again ensure that the water drains well and there is no water clogging. Some plants need constant trimming or cutting of the old leaves. For example, bonsai plants need their leaves to be trimmed after certain duration. The owner must be aware of such requirements. A water body can be made out of a rocky enclosure. Gather some rocks and make a small pond. You can grow some water lilies on them. This can be done so long as you keep replacing the water regularly.

A terrace garden is the nicest alternative to a sprawling garden in front of your home. For people living in apartments and penthouses, it is an ideal way to beautify the house. At the same time, the hobby of gardening can also be pursued. Enjoy the serenity and the freshness of the rich flora in your own private retreat, your terrace garden.

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