Gardening Ideas for your Rooftop Garden

In cities where space is a much desired commodity, vegetable gardens may be considered a luxury. But if you live in a building where a flat rooftop is accessible, you could create a great rooftop vegetable garden from container pots, trellises or even raised garden beds. Whether you have a small space or an entire building’s rooftop, here are a few ideas when planning your rooftop vegetable garden.

Image: Egan Snow (Flickr)

Container Veggies

If the garden is just for you and your family, using container pots is the easiest way to go on a rooftop. You can grow tomatoes, peppers and herbs in medium to large flower pots. Make sure to choose pots with holes drilled in the bottom for proper drainage. If you love tomatoes, you can actually buy a variety called Patio Hybrid tomatoes that were specially bred to grow in containers. Be sure to position your potted tomatoes away from strong winds, and make sure they get direct sun at least five hours a day.

Raised Garden Beds

If you have many more vegetables in mind or you are building your rooftop garden with a community in mind, building a raised garden bed may be the perfect option. You can make a container garden out of a number of things: metal washtubs, children’s plastic wading pools, wooden crates, used tires or even burlap feed sacks. The tub or planter should be able to hold enough water to feed the plant(s) adequately. If you are designing a large garden, make sure to leave a path between the container beds for foot traffic so you and your neighbors can tend to the garden.

Climbing Veggies

Some garden vegetables require space to climb. Cucumbers, squash and peas, for example, like to attach themselves to vertical things. A rooftop trellis is the perfect addition to your rooftop garden. If you simply want practicality, you can make a makeshift trellis from an old step latter or wire fence. Of course, you can always buy a more ornamental trellis from a garden store if you want the kind of garden meant for parties and entertaining.

Water Access

Before you think about planning a rooftop garden, you must consider water access. Does your building have a water faucet on the roof where you can easily attach a hose? If you are handy, you can provide your own water spigot with PVC tubing run from an indoor spigot and fitted with a closure valve. If not, plan on dragging pitchers of water up to the roof so you can properly water your plants. If you plan on being away for a few days, you can set your container plants in a water tray. The soil draws the water upwards from the drainage holes in the bottom of the containers. You may also consider green irrigation systems (collecting rain water in barrels).

Proper Drainage

Rooftop gardens cut down on rainwater drainage because the soil absorbs the rain and filters it while the plants put water back into the air. However, when you water your plants with a hose, you need to think about where the excess water will drain out and the structure of your rooftop. Rooftop gardens require an insulation layer and a waterproof barrier on which the soil can rest. You should also make sure that there is a root barrier that prevents plant roots from penetrating the waterproof layer. The garden should include a layer of clay, gravel, or plastic which allows water to drain.

Rooftop gardens have many benefits. Despite the obvious aesthetic benefits and gardening pleasure, a rooftop garden can lower temperatures. During the heat of summer, plants use evapotranspiration to transfer heat and moisture from the soil into humidity – making the air cooler. During the cold months, rooftop gardens serve as insulation, protecting buildings from heat loss and saving people money on their heating bills. Rooftop gardens collect the rain fall, as well as leaves and sediment, purifying the water before it enters the city’s sewer system.

Rooftop gardens are a great way to bring the community together too. If your apartment building does not already have a rooftop garden, check with your manager or landlord to see if they would be open to letting you plan and organize one.

About the Author
April Lentini enjoys growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, peppers and herbs. Her favorite summer dish is garden fresh bruchetta with basil and olive oil. April writes for Apartment Guide in San Jose. DISCLAIMER: The information and opinions reflected in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect on the publisher, editor, or editorial staff of Women’s Online Magazine. This article has been written and reviewed by the author. Any errors should be brought to the attention of the author.

Add Colorful Privacy to Children’s or Teen’s Bedroom Windows

A new line of adhesive-free privacy window tints is a colorful and fun way to add privacy to a child’s or teen’s bedroom window.

For bedroom windows facing a street, a neighbor’s window, or the common area of an apartment complex, condominium or dorm, adding an adhesive-free privacy film from the Deco Tint collection is an easy and stylish way to protect a child from prying eyes.

Curtains and blinds are all too often left open by children at night when the lights are on. Using these decorative films ensures your child’s privacy while illuminating the room with beautiful stained glass color during the day.

The Deco Tint line is available in 10 child and parent pleasing colors that look like stained glass. Each color is available in a Privacy and See-Thru version (used where privacy is not a concern, but the desire for a unique, colorful window is). The decision to cover just part or all of a window with privacy film depends on the proximity of surrounding buildings and homes, pedestrian and vehicle traffic nearby, window size, etc.

Made by Wallpaper For Windows of Cocoa, Fla., Deco Tint films are easy to apply, easy to clean, will look great for years, and can be removed in seconds when it is time to redecorate. Deco Tints filter UV rays, save energy (glass is cooler in summer/warmer in winter) and are removable and reusable.

Take a security-conscious look out of your child’s bedroom window, because what you can see is what or who can look into your child’s room. If you feel more privacy is prudent or would like to decorate the glass with see-through color, Deco Tints are a stylish solution that provide great value for your decorating dollar.

For more information visit: www.wallpaperforwindows.com or call 800-320-8439.

5 New Year’s Resolution for Home Improvement

As we ride the crest of a recession into 2010, home is a place where Americans are spending much more of their time. Home improvements not only support the value of your home, but they can make life much more pleasant if you opt for money-saving “staycations” or nights eating in. Here are five New Year’s resolutions for home improvement, whether you choose to take on a remodel project, redecorate or just resolve to maintain your home more efficiently.

1. Check for Energy Efficiency

Are the drafty windows causing your heating unit to kick into overdrive? If you have an older house, it is especially important to make sure you are not washing money down the drain with outdated energy fixtures and appliances. Replacing old windows and doors with newer energy-efficient ones is ideal, but you can also seal your old windows with caulk or replace the rubber strips on your doors in the meantime. If you are in the market for a new dishwasher or refrigerator, check to make sure the new model has the “Energy Star” logo for maximum energy efficiency (along with a sweet tax deduction as well).

2. Sell or Donate Stuff You Don’t Use

A new year has never been a better time to practice the “out with the old” mantra. Consider all the things in your garage that you never use. Think about all the space in your closet being wasted on clothes that you will never wear again. Become friendly with your local Goodwill or Salvation Army, and donate anything you do not use. After all, you don’t want your house to end up on a reality TV show called “Hoarders.” By clearing the clutter and purging your home of things that just collect dust, you will enjoy spending time at home with a fresh just-moved-in feeling. Your house guests will appreciate it, too. No one wants to hang out in a space that they can’t move in.

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Best Buy! An Affordable New Way to Decorate Windows & Glass Doors

An affordable new way to decorate windows and glass doors with the beauty of stained glass has been introduced by Wallpaper For Windows™. The Deco Tint™ collection features a decorator’s palette of 12 stained glass colors that can be arranged and combined to give a new look to existing windows and glass doors.

Each decorator color is available in both a see-through and privacy version. To ‘soften’ the view and create a little privacy, the see-through colors are not crystal clear. The privacy versions are like frosted glass with color, creating privacy without darkening the room. Available colors range from very light tint colors such as Mint, Sky Blue, Sandstone and Dusty Rose to more intense colors including Amber, Ocean Blue, Spring Green, Lavender, Morning Sun and Ruby.
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Vegetable Gardens for Small Apartments in San Antonio

by April Lentini

Let’s face it; growing a home garden in San Antonio is not always easy. The heat is intense -even for plants that require full sun. Add the fact that you live in a small apartment, and gardening may seem way beyond your reach. Don’t despair! Learn how you can easily grow your own fruits and vegetables and even make apartment living work to your advantage.

“Why can’t I grow tomatoes in San Antonio?”

No garden is complete without home grown tomatoes. But many Texan gardeners complain about how difficult it is to grow a nice crop. One common reason is that all the gardening books (and even the tag on the tomato plants) tell you to plant tomatoes in full sun. In many places of the United States this works, but if you live in Texas, full sun can actually burn your plants during the sweltering summer months. This is also true for other plants and herbs including bell peppers and basil.

It’s for this reason growing a vegetable garden in a controlled environment has its advantages. If you have a patio or balcony, potted vegetable plants work great because you can move them around and control the balance of sunlight and shade. (Keep in mind that for San Antonio, “full sun” may actually mean “partial sun”.) Make sure your indoor pots have a drain hole, and then use the recommended mixture of garden soil and plant fertilizer to ensure a healthy growth.
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Decorate On A Budget In The Bedroom

When you think of decorating on a budget do you ever give your headboard a thought? Probably not and what is amazing is that the bed in any bedroom is always the star of the show. This article is going to cover decorating on a budget in the bedroom, specifically beds and how to make them the focal point of the room without spending a lot of money.

Bedding is a huge market with consumers. Oprah started a sheet craze on her favorite things show, talking about only getting sheets that are 400 thread count or higher. Well, I can tell you it makes a difference. The feeling of quality sheets is something to work in your budget if you can. Since they are pricier, you can offset the cost by dressing your bed with high end sheets in combination with other quilts or spreads you already have instead of investing in more expensive top bedding.

This bedroom picture is a good example of using high end sheets with low end furniture. The furniture in this home was actually handed down from grandparents. By folding the sheets back and giving the feel of a hotel or spa the bed seems just as inviting but without the big price tag. How you display and stage the bed is a key tip to decorating on a budget in the bedroom. The guests will fondly remember sleeping in that bed.
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Neighborhood Barter & Furniture Exchange

Economically speaking, the United States is in a place of regrouping and simplifying our lives and homes. Cut backs and strict budgets over time tend to drain motivation and hope. More families are choosing to entertain at home to stay on budget and still socialize with friends and family. This creates opportunity to decorate your home with a new look. Redecorating has the ability to offer a new perspective on daily living and give a breath of fresh air, lifting spirits, and make room for creative ideas to deal with life’s ups and downs.

How do you redecorate when you have no room to move in the budget? Bartering. It refers to– trade goods or services without the exchange of money.
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Home Interior Design – Outdoors

You’ve heard the saying “Bring the outdoors in” right? Well, I want you to get inspired about bringing the inside out. Home interior design rules apply the same whether you’re decorating the inside of the home or a patio or deck.

Consider what items you may already have that would work in your outdoor space. We had an old wooden picnic table that finally fell apart. However, the benches were still in decent shape. I used one bench for seating and the other to display lots of potted plants.
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