Exhibitors
Back-to-back Gardens
Clusius College
The Sky is the Limit
Designers: Clusius College
Contractor: Clusius College
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Clusius College students are demonstrating how a city roof can be transformed into a living landscape, creating an ideal solution for offsetting the loss of nature. Urban centres and big cities are characterised by concrete and stone, with reduced space for green areas. Options for storing rainwater are limited. City centres are becoming drier and hotter, with too much dust and smog causing health problems.
Flat roofs offer possibilities for roof gardens. Green roofs contribute to an improvement of the city climate; they moisten and cool the air, absorb dust and retain rainwater. Attractive green roofs are an invitation for healthy recreation and relaxation.
A roof-covering sedum carpet is combined with planting that is resistant to drought, sun and wind. The planting scheme requires moderate care and maintenance, and provides year-round interest, featuring Cotinus coggyria ‘Royal Purple’, pieris and an olive tree. There is a paved area and bench for relaxing and enjoying the garden.
The garden’s base is built from weatherboards, roofing paper and a 30cm deep substrate layer, which is thicker in places to accommodate some of the larger plants and trees. The garden is accessed via a door that leads to the home below.