Melaco's South Slope Rooftop garden

Created on Sunday, 01 Jun 08

I started this roof garden from scratch in the spring of 2005. Although I had prior experience with gardens-I grew up in the country with a large plot of land, had a home in Syracuse with a backyard garden I could barely keep up with, and had grown container gardens on fire escapes in New York-a roof garden is a whole other story. It gets hot up there in the dog-days of summer, and dry (even with a drip irrigation system going full blast). It’s been hit-and-miss finding things that can flourish or just survive the beating of a New York rooftop summer!

This first photo is from August 28, 2006. The second is from June 1, 2008. The third is my son enjoying one of his favorite activities. The fourth is from July 20, 2008. The fifth is from August 21, 2008.

Organic Garden

Garden Type: Rooftop | Sun: Full Sun | Soil: Combination

1 fave

Day 115

Jeremiah's Cacti Pot

My son, Jeremiah, loves a good cactus. He purchased a pot early la...

Planted on 09 Aug 08
- 1 journals
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- Happy
Day 180

Brown Turkey Fig

Ficus carica

Last weekend, I read Randy Kennedy's story, "Tree Proud," in the Ne...

Planted on 05 Jun 08
- 5 journals
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Day 201

Raspberry Bramble

Rubus idaeus

I had a thriving raspberry plant that I grew from a cutting I purch...

Planted on 15 May 08
- 2 journals
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Day 206

'Blanc Double de Coubert' Rose

Rosa

I decided to try roses this year. This is one of the two rose bushe...

Planted on 10 May 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
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- Happy
Day 211

Clematis Henryi

Clematis

I purchased two of these plants, but only one survived transplant. ...

Planted on 05 May 08
- 1 journals
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Day 211

Cosmo

After waiting all summer, the cosmos are finally blooming!

Planted on 05 May 08
- 1 journals
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Day 211

Pineapple sage

Salvia elegans

Pineapple sage will winter in New York City with a little help. If ...

Planted on 05 May 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Very Happy
Day 211

French Marigold

Tagetes patula

Planted from a mix--came up marigold!

Planted on 05 May 08
- 1 journals
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Day 211

Lily Pons Rose Bud

Rosa

My second rose bush. Perhaps white wasn't the best choice for the r...

Planted on 05 May 08
- 1 journals
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Day 211

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Sunflowers are in bloom!

Planted on 05 May 08
- 2 journals
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Day 211

Ancho Pepper

Capsicum annuum

This pepper plant has struggled a bit since transplant, but here we...

Planted on 05 May 08
- 4 journals
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Day 211

Tomatoes

Solanum lycopersicum

About 8 days ago I fertilized everything in my garden with 10/10/10...

Planted on 05 May 08
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
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Day 212

Basil

Ocimum basilicum

Planted from small plants bought at Lowe's.

Planted on 04 May 08
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
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Day 215

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

Surprise! Planted from a flower seed mix.

Planted on 01 May 08
- 1 journals
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Day 215

Zinnia

Zinnia elegans

For whatever reason, I had a hard time getting the zinnias to grow ...

Planted on 01 May 08
- 1 journals
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Day 241

Dill

Anethum graveolens

The dill is flowering now, so I finally took a photo and added it t...

Planted on 05 Apr 08
- 4 journals
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Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis

Purchased in Spring 2007, repotted in Summer 2008. Photographed bes...

Planted on 04 May 07
- 1 journals
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Crème de menth mint

Mentha requienii

Under my young Dawn Redwood grows this tiny mint. If you pet it, it...

Planted on 06 Jun 06
- 1 journals
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- Happy
Irish Moss

Sagina subulata

I purchased this in Union Square and it now grows under my older Da...

Planted on 06 Jun 06
- 1 journals
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- 0 comments
- Happy
Creeping Thyme

Thymus pseudolanuginosus

Creeping thyme lives under my poor birch tree.

Planted on 06 Jun 06
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
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Red Maple

Acer palmatum

A tiny red maple seedling that I bought at the Botanical Gardens in...

Planted on 19 May 06
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
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- Happy
Sedum sieboldii

Sedum sieboldii

I bought this plant a few years back. It dies back in the winter, g...

Planted on 12 Apr 06
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 1 comments
- Happy
Sage, clary

Salvia officinalis

I love Clary sage. It grows for only two years before flowering, go...

Planted on 01 Apr 06
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Very Happy
Daylily

Hemerocallis

I gave away some old items on freecycle a few years ago. The lady w...

Planted on 12 May 05
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Very Happy
Adam's Needle Yucca

Yucca filamentosa

A Yucca plant--it's kind of ugly on its own, but I like how the spi...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 2 journals
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- Happy
Lavender 'Dilly Dilly'

Lavandula x intermedia

I adore this lavender. It's beautiful and aromatic. The primary ...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Ornamental grass--Carex Prairie Fire

Carex testacea

I purchased this a few years ago, and I believe it was called "Fire...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
- 3 comments
- Very Happy
Sanguisorba menziesii "burnet"

Sanguisorba menziesii

First planted in 2005, the primary photo is from July 6, 2005. This...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Very Happy
Hansen Bush Cherry AVAILABLE FOR SWAP

Prunus besseyi

I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the Hansen Bush Che...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Neutral
Dawn Redwood

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

I love the Dawn Redwood. I have two--the one pictured, which was pl...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Apple Trees

Malus domestica

My two apple trees-a dwarf Northpole and a dwarf Golden Sentinel-ar...

Planted on 05 May 05
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Sweet Birch Tree

Betula lenta

When I was first planning my roof garden, I took a class and read a...

Planted on 04 May 05
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Neutral
Mint

Mentha spicata

Once upon a time, I planted mint. No need to plant it anymore-it co...

Planted on 05 Apr 05
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
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- Very Happy
Hakan's Jade Plant

Crassula ovata

This is Hakan's plant, which I care for. In 2003, I took it from th...

Planted on 05 Jun 03
- 0 journals
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- Happy
Elijah Blue Fescue Grass

Festuca ovina glauca

I bought this grass a few years ago. I've found it to be very picky...
- 0 journals
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- 0 comments
- Neutral

Name	Added	Garden	Swaps Available
'Blue Glow’ Thistle Echinops ritro	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Blue Glow (0) Globe Thistle (0)
Agave lophantha Agave lophantha	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Hardy Century Plant (0)
Anise Hysop Agastache foeniculum	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Licorice Mint (2)
Fiesta del sol Tithonia Tithonia rotundifolia	05 Aug 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Fiesta del sol Tithonia (0) Torch Tithonia (0)
Hollyhocks Alcea rosea / Alcea pallida	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Hollyhock (5)
Homestead Purple Verbena verbena hybrida	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Verbena (1)
Mullein Verbascum thapsus	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Mullein (0)
Sea holly Eryngium dichotomum	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Sea Holly (0)
Verbascum olympium Verbascum olympicum	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Verbascum (0)
Yarrow Achillea taygetea	08 Jul 08	South Slope Rooftop Garden	Yarrow (1)