A Comprehensive Guide to Rooftop Planters
Depending on your location, green space can be hard to come by. Luckily, rooftop planters make designing green space possible.
But designing with planters on your rooftop, where plants don’t normally grow, can be a challenge. So, the experts from PureModern put together this comprehensive guide that outlines:
General information about rooftop planters
Various rooftop planter styles and design ideas
Tips when purchasing rooftop planters
Key considerations for setting up your rooftop planter design
Large Modular Planters on the rooftop at Garden City Bar in Shaker Heights, Ohio
What Are Rooftop Planters?
Just like you’d imagine, rooftop planters are simply planters that are suitable — in terms of weight and portability — for use on a rooftop or terrace.
Often used to add ambiance and depth to an outdoor design plan, rooftop planters have many benefits and can provide a wide array of practical outcomes, including:
Creating living outdoor “rooms” for al fresco entertaining
Designating walkways or seating areas
Growing a vegetable garden
Rooftop Planter Styles
Whether you’re designing a residential or commercial space, you have many style options.
Below are tips to achieve a specific style using rooftop planters.
Elegant clean lines. Whether your goal is to create a new space or accent an existing one, rectangular planters elegantly offer an aesthetic of long, clean lines that elevate any space.
Modern aesthetic. For contemporary modern designs, consider commercial planters.
Repeating patterns. Achieve a stunning effect with repetition and color. Flank benches or seating areas with tall grasses planted inside a repeating pattern of rooftop planters.
Add vertical interest. Draw the eye up with trees in rooftop planters like the designer of Rockefeller Plaza did with PureModern’s round containers.
Modular Planters on the rooftop at Rockefeller Center New York, NY
5 Tips When Buying a Rooftop Planter
When designing an outdoor rooftop space with planters, making an informed decision will optimize available space, ensure longevity and aesthetics of the rooftop planters, and promote plant health. To make the best decision for your project, be sure to:
Evaluate Available Space
When purchasing rooftop planters, it’s important to first evaluate the space you’re working with.
In general, placing planters on your roof shouldn’t be a problem. However, we recommend gathering information about the structural integrity and weight limitations of your building’s roof.
And to identify the perfect rooftop planters and placement for them, we also recommend taking advantage of the positive aspects of the existing space.
For example, taller walls might be the perfect spot for outdoor wall art. Positioning a planter with lights nearby can highlight such a feature.
Determine the Rooftop Planter’s Purpose
Your rooftop planter can be more than just a standalone design element. It can serve several purposes, like acting as a spot to mount lights.
Do you need a spot to hide electrical cords or lights for pathways or water or gas lines? Planters can be designed to have conduits run through them to hide certain utilities.
Choose the Right Planter Material
Once you know where your rooftop planters will be and what role they’ll play in your design plan, it’s time to choose the right material.
Below is a quick summary of the best planter materials for rooftop applications:
Powder-coated aluminum. This planter material works well in all indoor and outdoor applications but works especially well on rooftops or terraces where the overall weight of the planter, plant, and filler is a consideration.
Fiberglass. Lightweight and resistant to corrosion, frost, and UV rays, fiberglass planters typically require very little maintenance and do not need to be taken indoors during the winter months. And, like powder-coated aluminum, fiberglass makes sense when the total weight is a factor for rooftop projects or high-rise balconies.
When planters break down or deteriorate, they compromise the visual appeal of your design project. So, whenever possible, we recommend choosing a planter that lasts 20+ years rather than compromising on long-term quality for short-term savings.
Consider How the Planter Will Make Its Way to the Final Destination
How will you get the planter to its final position? This is a significant consideration when selecting a planter.
Can you get it up an elevator?
Will a crane be required?
At PureModern, we value engineer projects for our clients to assess projects from every angle. Our design team can help evaluate multiple ways to achieve an intended outcome — and often improve upon preliminary ideas.
Select a Trusted Rooftop Planter Provider
When buying a rooftop planter for your next design project, we recommend that you consider the following questions about the provider:
Does the manufacturer guarantee their products or offer a warranty?
What do you know about the manufacturer? How many years have they been in business?
What types of materials do they use for their products?
Can they customize their products?
Will they look at your drawings and suggest better solutions based on their expertise?
Rooftop planters at Roosevelt Parc in Jackson Heights, NY
Setting Up Rooftop Planters and Garden
Once your rooftop planters are ordered, it’s time to begin thinking about rooftop plantings and maintenance. Keep these considerations in mind as you get started:
Identify suitable rooftop plants. Take note of how much sunlight your rooftop receives, the wind conditions, and expected maintenance level the plants will receive. Vegetables like tomatoes will only thrive on a hot, sunny rooftop if they get enough water. Watering isn’t a concern, however, for drought-resistant plants like succulents.
Address heightened exposure to the elements. Because rooftop planters will be more exposed to the elements than planters on the ground, winds can uproot plantings and even damage your rooftop planter.
To protect plants, check soil levels. Over time, soil in any pot will sink. Without enough soil, plants can become loose and be blown over, increasing the chance of a planter toppling. Be sure to check your soil level periodically.
Click here to read more about securely anchoring your rooftop planter.Maintain soil quality. Like any planter, rooftop planters require regular maintenance. Be on the lookout for pests, diseases, etc. We recommend using organic fertilizers to maintain the proper levels of nutrients in the soil. As previously mentioned, soil often becomes compacted over time, so it’s essential to aerate the soil by loosening it occasionally.
Learn More
PureModern manufactures planters to your exact specifications, budget, and timeline. For help with your next rooftop planter project, click here to contact us.
