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Roof Terrace Gardener

@rooftop.wilding

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Attempting to build a wildlife habitat on an exposed, high rise, London roof terrace with 0 experience 🥲
Trial and error method 🙃

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My 3 year progress in a nutshell 😅

The aim is to diversify the space with as much greenery as possible to assist local wildlife 🌿🐝🐦🦋

Gardening on an extremely exposed to wind / sun / heat 7th floor roof terrace is gardening on extreme difficulty mode. You have to make some sacrifices as to what you want, in favour of what will be happy.

I plan to post more in depth on each of the successes and failures I've had so far, and what I am still continuing to aim for

#rooftopgardening #rewildinglondon #exposedgardenplanting #ntskygardeningchallenge #balconygardening @the_rhs @londonwildlifetrust taken in London by @rooftop.wilding

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3 months ago

Apologies for the creepy breathing at the end... I did try to cut it out 😅

Just an update on my 🔥 sauna corner 🔥

#ntskygardeningchallenge #balconygarden #containergarden #droughttolerantplants #waterthewildlife @ntskygardeningchallenge taken in London by @rooftop.wilding

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2 months ago

@the_everyspace_plantshop @the_everyspace I created this account to share some pictures with you! (My other one is just for my dog...)

Maybe 3/4 of these are from you guys over the last two years in my effort to make my exposed space into a garden. There's been some struggle along the way, first year saw some mild plant genocide. It's still a work in progress but getting to know who likes what and where, to keep building!

Thank you for all of your help ♥️

#theeveryspaceplantshop #rooftopgardeninguk #balconygardening #itsreallyhard #ntskygardeningchallenge @the_rhs taken in London by @rooftop.wilding

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3 months ago

Dahlia people: what do you do with them???

I got this one as a rescue and she's only just started blooming. With the short days no one is around to admire her. They don't do much for wildlife, so her pretty flowers are being wasted.

I cut today's flowers so I can look at them inside 😅 but apparently they don't last very long? Is there something you guys do with these or are they usually meant to be admired in a garden?

#dahliasunnyboy
#dahliaflowers #rooftopflowers #dahliahelp #rescueflowers taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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7 hours ago

What you doing in my planters there mate 👀

#magpie #corvids #rooftopbirds #urbanbirds taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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2 days ago

Genuinely was in denial these gargantuan shrubby flowers were my chrysanthemums until they started opening their flowers. I need to get my memory checked seriously, I had no recollection of buying these.

I didn't realize that they are supposed to be autumn bloomers, apparently most garden centers will artificially trick them to bloom in spring to get sales, but of course once planted those flowers will soon die off unless it's the correct season.

And in the correct season... JFC. Gonna need to start charging them rent! They are HUGE.

#chrysanthemums #autumnflowers #rooftopgardening #surpriseflowers #balconygardeninguk taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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6 days ago

I refuse to let pesky things such as seasons stop me from gardening.

I've been working on some final planting to fill that autumn / winter gap for pollen source, shelter, berries, and hibernation / nesting spots.

I've added some wallflowers, primrose & pansies as winter bloomers. I also have my Mahonia x Media already blooming. I've added a corner spot for Hellebore 'silver lace' and Sarcococca 'winter gem' for winter flowers and berries. And my ornamental chrysanthemums bought in June have rebounded with their true growth, 10x larger!

#rooftopgardening #ntskygardeningchallenge #yearroundgardening #winterwildlife #fillthegaps taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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7 days ago

With the days shortening, I've had to start bringing my Tabascos inside for daily maintenance 😭

What I do:

- Remove new flowers. It's too late for them to fully form and they waste energy that I want spent on the peppers
- Harvest peppers as they ripen and freeze. They ripen individually so I need to preserve them for when I use the full batch
- Prune new leafy growth. It's unnecessary energy expenditure again taking away from the peppers.

I also started bringing inside on nights when temps drop close to 10, because the cold slows ripening even further. It's a race against time in the UK!!

#tabasco #tabascopepperplant #capsicumfrutescens #peppergrowingcommunity #rooftopgrowing taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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8 days ago

It's flowering! Mahonia x Media 'Charity' - added as a winter food source for the scarce wildlife that ventures out on mild days.

It's a little early, I think the UK weather is confusing it, but the blooms should still last a good few months. ❤️

#mahoniaxmedia #winterblooms #yearroundcolor #plantingforwinter #rooftopgarden taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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10 days ago

These two lovebirds (I assume) have been hogging the bath all day. It's adorable watching them over the season and how their social habits change.

For one of these at least, it's their first summer. I hope they are prepared for their first winter!

#picapica #magpieuk #rooftopwildlife #birdcam #birdbathwatch
@ntskygardeningchallenge @btobirds @londonwildlifetrust taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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10 days ago

This is a Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum), a UK native that provides all sorts of soil and microbial benefits. Also a sign of fertile, living soil.

I bought a couple of these 2 years ago and they struggled, barely alive but refusing to die. No surprise given I planted them in opposite conditions to what they need (shade, cool, moist forest floors)

But the last few months they have come alive! Which is a sign I am successfully creating little microclimates in which I can start to grow different plants than which I have been focusing on so far (full sun, wind, drought exposure tolerant).

#ferns #polystichumsetiferum #microclimategardening #exposedgarden #rooftopgardening taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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10 days ago

Can you tell I got a bit lazy with some of these 😬 But year round colour is possible if you plan ahead!

Also I couldn't fit in:
- Blue Lobelia
- Petunias
- Calendula
- Creeping cinquefoil
- Annual Marguerite
- Chamomile
- Hardy Geranium
- Dandelions

Worth noting that many winter flowering plants you will find to purchase are not native which is usually fine but just check first, because some are not beneficial for our wildlife or even invasive.

I learnt this with my Cotoneaster... Currently hedging between execution or life sentence (keep contained and remove any berries before the birds get to them and disperse seeds) 👀

#autumnflowers #lateblooms #yearroundgardening #rooftopgardening #feedthewildlife
@ntskygardeningchallenge taken in London, United Kingdom by @rooftop.wilding

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12 days ago