Why are roof gardens all the rage at the moment

A.� There are plenty of good reasons why. While there is so much emphasis on moving people back into urban areas and making them better places, one of the things keeping people in the suburbs and the country is the garden. Roof gardening is increasingly seen as one of the ways of solving the problem of limited space at ground level at the same time as greening up the cities and making�them more attractive.

�

As, by definition, they have to be developed from scratch they also appeal to those who want something more contemporary and personalised than the standard strip of grass with borders either side. And then, of course, there are the fantastic views to be had from a garden three or four stories up.

�

A.� Roof gardens require a lot of careful planning before you get anywhere near the garden centre. First you need to check that you are not in a conservation area and so subject to restrictions on altering the roofline of a building or creating structures visible from the ground.

�

Next, a crucially, you must get the strength and condition of the roof checked by a surveyor. Just a few large containers will add considerable weight to its load, although most of the weight will usually be concentrated to the sides and supported by load bearing walls.

�

A.� The first thing to bear in mind is how much windier, double the wind speed on average, it will be on the roof compared with the relative shelter of down below. Where the roof garden is exposed directly to the wind think about erecting some durable screening such as whole bamboo lengths or wicker, making sure it is attached securely.

�

The same goes for containers and garden furniture. Don't put small flowers pots near the edge to rain down on pedestrians whenever there is a strong gust and try and avoid lightweight plastic chairs and tables that could also go flying.

�

A. Basically roof gardening is like courtyard gardening in big containers. You don't need to spend a fortune on terracotta pots. It's amazing what you can do with thinks like plastic water tanks and a lick of paint. Choose plants that can withstand wind, heat and dry conditions. Mediterranean and Southern Hemisphere plants,�such as rosemary, lavender, cistus, agapanthus and osteospermum will do well, as will most plants with silver or grey foliage.

�

Bamboos in pots provides excellent screening as well as rustling attractively in the wind, and hardy palms or even bananas are tough and add an exotic feel. Trees are not really a viable option, but why not add some fragrance by training jasmine or honeysuckle up a trellis

�