Heather's Roof-Top Garden 2012

[heatherbynum]

Hello all,
I am doing my garden on the roof this year. I will be keeping notes/pictures on here as they grow. Last year we did 5 gallon buckets on the driveway. Nothing survived the hot summer except the jalapenos. This is my first year with Earth Boxes. A big thanks to all you EB veterans for all the helpful information you have provided on this forum.

[seansmum]

Nice pictures. Very interesting! How do you get up there?
Sue

[heatherbynum]

Hey Sue,

Up three flights of stairs! I am definitely getting my exercise. The top of my house is called a "widow's walk" It is flat with a railing all around. We have been in this house for 4 years and have rarely used the top floor. We have kept it locked up(we have young kids) and shown it to visitors as part of the "this is our house tour". I'm really happy that I have made a reason to go up there and hang out. Everything is more beautiful from up there! For some crazy reason, there is an outdoor spigot at about the second story on the front of the house... as if it were there for the very purpose of having a garden up high!  My husband had to stand tippy-toe (on a ladder) to hook up the garden hose. He also had to fix the spigot because it leaked. He you-tubed the "how to" on that one and fixed it for 3 dollars! I have the AWS set up now. I will take more pictures soon.

[seansmum]

You must be much younger than I am. I can't imagine climbing three flights of steps with bales of potting mix . The thought makes me shudder!!!!!
Sue

[heatherbynum]

HAHA!
Actually it gets worse, for my husband and neighbor at least. I had already filled the boxes on the driveway when I decided I would like to do them on the roof. My husband and our neighbor carried all 10 of them up the three flights of stairs. I bribed the neighbor with a six-pack

[movrshakr]

When I first read that, I thought you said you buried the neighbor with a six-pack--which I would have understood.

It would have taken waaaaaayyyyy more that that for me to carry filled EBs up 3 stories;  I don't know how they did it.

[seansmum]

HAHA!
Actually it gets worse, for my husband and neighbor at least. I had already filled the boxes on the driveway when I decided I would like to do them on the roof. My husband and our neighbor carried all 10 of them up the three flights of stairs. I bribed the neighbor with a six-pack

I hope you had a hand truck!

[heatherbynum]

HAHA!
Actually it gets worse, for my husband and neighbor at least. I had already filled the boxes on the driveway when I decided I would like to do them on the roof. My husband and our neighbor carried all 10 of them up the three flights of stairs. I bribed the neighbor with a six-pack

I hope you had a hand truck!

If four hands equal a hand-truck, then I had one!

[heatherbynum]

Some more pictures. The first one is with the tomatoes planted, and the AWS's set up. I did all heirloom. Cherokee purple, Old Brooks, Oregon Springs, Tommy Toe, AR Traveler, & San Marzano. I got my plants locally at the tomato man's daughter I'll provide a link if you want to view the plant list and read about them.

The second pic is up close of a bush bean that I started from seed.

The third is up close of a zuke, also from seed.

The forth I couldn't resist showing one of my beautiful son. All my children love to help me in the "garden". They also like throwing parachute-men off the deck.

Oh, here's the link http://www.tomatomansdaughter.com/

[grandmamac]

It looks a great set up. And your son is a star.

My grandchildren like helping me in the garden. This week they helped me empty old compost from three large tubs and used some of it later with my son to 'plant' some bird seed in some small pots. I'll organise a proper planting when they come again.

I wasn't too happy when they investigated an earthbox with its cover off prior to refreshing today but they only made holes woth a plastic rod so it wasn't too disastrous.

[seansmum]

Everything looks great. Your son is very handsome. Enjoy your children while they are still young. They grow up way too fast and then go away to college or work .
Sue

[grandmamac]

But iif you're lucky they'll come back with grandchildren! Although they grow up even faster.

[heatherbynum]

Today I am making wind breaks for my plants and seedlings. Also hope it will keep animals from biting off the tops of my seedlings. Something ate the top off my bell pepper! How I am going about doing this....

We have a small enclosed bamboo forest in my backyard. I harvested some dead shoots, took off all the branches with regular garden cutters, and then had my husband cut them to size with some kind of tool (don't know the name of it). Then using the iron railing that is already there, I placed two pieces of bamboo in the box and went around those and the railing with saran wrap. This was no easy task as the wind was blowing ferociously! This contraption I "built" works well to break the wind, not completely, but enough to keep the plants from snapping.   I think it was Mickie that gave me this idea... Thank You!

[cushman350]

Today I am making wind breaks for my plants and seedlings. Also hope it will keep animals from biting off the tops of my seedlings. Something ate the top off my bell pepper! How I am going about doing this....

We have a small enclosed bamboo forest in my backyard. I harvested some dead shoots, took off all the branches with regular garden cutters, and then had my husband cut them to size with some kind of tool (don't know the name of it). Then using the iron railing that is already there, I placed two pieces of bamboo in the box and went around those and the railing with saran wrap. This was no easy task as the wind was blowing ferociously! This contraption I "built" works well to break the wind, not completely, but enough to keep the plants from snapping.  I think it was Mickie that gave me this idea... Thank You!

Shadecloth might work well as a wind break applied to your railings. Just a thought. Heck, while I'm thinking, just build a greenhouse up there with climate control. 

[heatherbynum]

Shadecloth might work well as a wind break applied to your railings. Just a thought. Heck, while I'm thinking, just build a greenhouse up there with climate control. 

I am going to get shadecloth later this season when it gets really hot, but I am going to make a canopy with it, letting the plants get sunshine through the sides. As far as a green house goes, the room directly under my rooftop has windows on the south, east, and west. They are big, tall windows almost from floor to ceiling, with nothing obstructing the sun coming in through the south or east ones (I think this is ideal ). I am thinking that this may be a good place to grow stuff in the winter time. I have an avocado on it's way, and this will be it's winter home.

Besides the garden on the roof, I have a peach tree with a ton of peaches growing on it, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, all growing fruit right now too. Waiting for them to ripen and hoping that my homemade bird repellents work!