Category Archives: Ornamental Shrubs

Après le déluge

Plants on rooftop gardens are far more exposed to the elements than their ground-level cousins.   With Hurricane Irene heading directly for lower Manhattan, it was alarming to hear the experts explain that 75 mph winds at ground level translated to … Continue reading

Posted in Design, Failures, Malabar Spinach, Nectarines, Peaches, Photos, Roses, Structure, The Visionaire, Tomatoes, Weather | 4 Comments

Beets and Berries for Breakfast

When we eat from the industrial food system, we generally plan our meals in advance, or simply cruise the refrigerator.   With roof-top agriculture, one starts each meal with no pre-conceptions about the menu.  Instead, meal preparation starts with a pleasant … Continue reading

Posted in Beets, Berries, Blackberries, Cooking and Eating, Meals and Menus, Ornamental Shrubs, Roses | Leave a comment

Have a seat . . .

One of the unexpected pleasures of BRTG is the unusual experience of being seated in close proximity to plants.  In most ground-level gardens, we experience plants as part of an over-all composition, such as a border, or only momentarily, as we pass … Continue reading

Posted in Design, Non-edible Perennials, Ornamental Plants, Ornamental Shrubs, Parsley, Photos | 1 Comment

Fall Colors on the Roof

So far so good.  The Alpines in the “Secret Garden” survived the summer.  Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet,’ below, puts on a brilliant fall display. The Stewartia, also a risky move for a green roof, seems to have survived the heat, … Continue reading

Posted in Alpines in the Secret Garden, Blueberries, Design, Non-edible Perennials, Ornamental Shrubs, Ornamental Trees, Photos, Secret Garden | Leave a comment

The Secret Garden

Tucked in the extreme south east corner of the Battery Roof-top Garden is the Secret Garden, a refuge separated from the rest of the garden, with a cozy bench for two, oriented to the view over Battery Park and Brooklyn … Continue reading

Posted in Alpines in the Secret Garden, Design, Non-edible Perennials, Ornamental Shrubs, Photos, Secret Garden | 1 Comment

Callicarpa — Beautyberry

Anyone who doubts that Callicarpa (“Beautyberry”) will thrive on a green roof, need only have a glance below.   On the Battery Roof-top Garden, this handsome specimen of Callicarp dichotoma (Early Amethyst Beautyberry), separates the main cocktail area from the Secret … Continue reading

Posted in Ornamental Plants, Ornamental Shrubs, Secret Garden | Leave a comment