Garden Design for Exposed Roof & Terraces:
Garden Designs to cope with the elements

When setting out to design for an exposed garden we begin by considering all the usual questions, such as:

However, as well as taking into account your needs and preferences we will also be thinking about the practicalities of creating a beautiful, manageable and longlasting garden or high-rise outdoor space which can cope with the extremes of the natural elements, the sun, wind, rain, cold or lack of water.

Strong winds can create problems for planting schemes by snapping stems and branches, tearing away leaves, drying out foliage and burning leaves. If trees and plants are not sufficiently anchored, the wind can also tug at the root system, causing the plant stress and making it difficult to take up water.

Similarly, some gardens, particularly away from city areas, can be prone to cold or have areas which are in a frost pocket.

The key to good planting design is knowing which plants will thrive in a particular situation. Hampstead Garden Design will work with you to create a planting scheme using hardy plants which are wind or frost tolerant. We look to nature and choose plants which have naturally evolved to cope with these conditions.

We also design to create sheltered spots, so that the less hardy plants can thrive in an otherwise exposed garden and can advise you on which plants might need winter protection.

All plants need light and many plants thrive in sunshine, so if you have a south facing garden, roof terrace or balcony, you’ll have a wide choice of plants and flowers to choose from. However, there is a difference between a bright, sunny spot and an exposed spot which suffers from the blaze of full sunshine from dawn till dusk.

Exposure to relentless fierce sun, particularly in the early afternoon, can really cause plants to struggle if they are not well suited to these conditions. Plants can quickly become scorched and die from the effects of too much sun as well as struggling to take up enough water to grow.

Hampstead Garden Design will choose hardy plants that are sun and drought tolerant. We find that this is a particular issue on roof terraces and looking to nature, choose plants which have naturally evolved to cope with these conditions. Typically we would suggest plants which are native to mediterranean areas, which cope well with exposure to heat and a lack of water. We might also suggest an irrigation system which will help your new planting scheme to get sufficient water.

One of our recent projects was to create a stunning contemporary roof garden for clients in Marylebone, central London.

As you can see from this photo, the space was quite exposed on three of the four sides. The position of the intended roof garden meant that it would be exposed to wind, rain and cold in the winter and sun, possibly more wind and heat in the summer. This can be a real challenge for even the most experienced gardener as plants that might cope well with one set of conditions, say cold and rain, may not necessarily be well adapted to the opposite of sun and heat.

This was almost a textbook example of an exposed garden space that needed careful planning to create a garden that would cope with wind, rain, sun, heat and cold. Our clients asked us to design a space which had a modern contemporary feel and which would be easy to look after. They wanted a garden space that could withstand the British climate and be used throughout the year.

The planting for this included plants which would naturally be found in mediterranean areas, such as olive trees, lavender and Salvias. We also installed contemporary slatted screens on the boundaries, which help to slow down the wind, as well as an irrigation system.