Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2011 - (Page 32)

PROJECT A SECRET ALPINE GARDEN ADDS UNEXPECTED TEXTURE. CULTIVATED ABUNDANCE: FROM A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AT ONE END TO VERTICAL GROWING SCREENS AT ITS TIP, THIS LUSH GARDEN TERRACE IS AN ALL-SEASON PARADISE. Vaccinium corymbosum (High Bush Blueberry). The eight-tree fruit orchard is made up of Prunus domestica (Prune Plum), Prunus persica ssp. ‘Nusipersica’ Redgold (Redgold Dwarf Nectarine), Pyrus communis (Pear) and Malus (Apple) trees, both domestic and exotic. Vitis vinifera ‘Mars Seedless’ (Mars Seedless Grape) and Vitis vinifera ‘Reliance’ (Reliance Seedless Grape) are trained up the pergola columns as well as climbing roses Rosa ‘Blaze’ and Rosa ‘Golden Showers’. Adjacent to the dining area is a formal herbal knot garden com32 LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR prised of Allium (Garlic), Lavandula angustifolia (Hidcote lavendar), Origanum vulgare (Greek Oregano), Salvia officinalis (Sage), Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), to list a few, and a variety of ground covers are set between the bluestone pavers, including strawberry, alpines, and sedums. The terrace is visually centered by two hand-cast glass fountains with constantly re-circulating water from a basin set below grade. Morrison felt that the roof terrace replicated the exposure and extreme temperature fluctuations found in higher elevations, and discovered a good selection of alpine species at Oliver Nurseries in Fairfield, Connecticut. The plant materials create a surprising tapestry of color and form, and require little care. McEnroe Organic Farm, of Millerton, New York, supplied a custom crafted green roof growing media rich in compost (including a specially crafted acidic growing media for the blueberries). McEnroe’s green roof growing media was mixed with their Premium Organic Potting Soil to ensure moisture retention and healthy root development. The landscape architect searched throughout the greater New York region, parts of Connecticut and into Massachusetts for appropriate dwarf or slow-growing plants. Species were selected for height, form, seasonal interest and continuous production. Nearly a year after the garden was fully planted, less than one percent of the plants have died, in spite of unusually brutal seasonal conditions, including winds of over 90 miles per hour, around 56” of snowfall, and 25” of spring rains. Of the roof garden, Rich says: “I have been surprised that the experience of being surrounded by dense and diverse plantings — not the remarkable views — have been the chief joy afforded by the space.” Annie Novak, the urban farmer who designed and manages Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, planned and tends the vegetables grown on the Visionaire terrace. (To learn more about Eagle Street Farm, please see the Fall 2010 issue of the Living Architecture Monitor) “Plants are always stressed by windy conditions,” says Novak when asked about which vegetables do best on roof terraces. “We look for plants that bear up against the wind, or Rendering courtesy of Mark K. Morrison Landscape Architecture PC. SUMMER 2011 Image courtesy of Mark K. Morrison

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2011

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2011
Contents
Water Worries
Cities Re-Imagined
Design Strategies for Wild Bees
Special Section: Cities Alive 2011 Conference Guide
Thin Flats
Sky Island at the Visionaire
Welcome New Members
New Corporate Members
Professional Calendar
Seven-Year Pitch

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2011