Gardening in London

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Gardening in London

• Marley Saiko

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Intro

• London homes consist of houses with small yards,
  apartments, and townhouses
• English citizens enjoy having plants and flowers
  around them
• Space restrictions force residents to use
  alternative methods of gardening to get their
  flower fix.

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• Three common types of gardening solutions
• Roof-top Gardens
• Walled Gardens
• Window Boxes and Containers

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Rooftop Gardens

• Utilize the flat space on city buildings
• Apartment buildings create rooftop gardens in
  order to provide a botanical escape for residents

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• A successful rooftop garden
• Lasts for years
• Does not cause problems for the building
• Reduces energy costs of the building
• Absorbs and holds water, increasing the time it
  takes for rain to enter the storm sewer system
• Brings joy to residents
• The building must be strong enough to support the
  extra weight, and high-quality waterproofing
  membrane must be used and maintained

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Cross-section of a Rooftop Garden
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Small-scale Gardening

• Gardens of London homes are smaller than gardens
  in America
• The average size for a garden in London is about
  350 square feet
• Many gardens are bordered on all sides by high
  walls or adjacent houses
• Homeowners need to get creative when gardening to
  make their space look better

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An Example
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Adding Interest

• To soften blank walls, use trellises and plants
  that are able to climb up the wall
• For a patio, covering a plain concrete pad with
  tile is a great way to create an outdoor room
• Get broken pieces of tile from a tile store to
  save cash!
• Camouflage eyesores (like air conditioning units)
  with screens and containers
• A fountain will cover the sounds of traffic

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Window Box Gardening

• Some homes in London do not have space for a
  garden, so they make due with window boxes
• Because London does not have the snow cover of
  Minnesota, they also have to be concerned about
  winter interest of their window box
• Window boxes are a passion for many Londoners

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• Window boxes are planted with colorful flowers
  during the summer
• As the flowers die back, the bone structure of
  the plants (stems) are revealed, creating
  interest
• Window boxes can be planted with dwarf shrubs
  that will stay small and look charming with a
  slight dusting of snow in the winter
• Juniperus communis works well because it is
  little and difficult to kill

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Examples of Window Boxes

• Entries from the 2003 Hampton Court Flower Show

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Conclusion

• Londoners are very creative with their gardens,
  using multiple techniques to increase space use
  efficiency
• Rooftop Gardens
• Walled Gardens
• Containers and
• Window Boxes