Table of Contents
Tips for the design and construction of a landscaped environment in an attic or terrace.
This type of gardens in attics, are more common in cities due to the space utilisation in housing construction.
Firstly, we must take into account the following considerations before starting to develop the design:
- Location and orientation of the space to be decorated. It is so important the vision of the garden
from the outside as well as from the inside, so we have to take into account all
prospects - Style of the interior decoration of the house. It is important that there is a
harmony with the housing style, since it is definitely an extension of it. - The kind of use we intend to give to gardens in penthouses. This section is possibly the most important, since
which will define the areas to be decorated and the type of outdoor furniture. Pergolas, lattices,
flooring?are some of the details that will play a decisive role. - Plant planning. The choice of the type of vegetation is probably the most
complicated to decide. aromatic, perennial, deciduous, flowering, shade or sun, colors,
etc... But above all, the most important thing is that the choice follows a criterion.
Below I will detail the different options when planning the project.
Pavements
The most used options are grouped in 3 types of surfaces:outdoor platformsTechnical floors or raised on pedestals; artificial grass. Next we will see the characteristics of each one of them applied to the gardens in attics.
Synthetic or composite flooring
- is a good option whenever more comfort is required, since it does not require so many
care for optimal maintenance. - Tropical wood flooring. In this case there are different alternatives such as IPE, Teak, Elondo, Jatoba, etc?
all of a density suitable for outdoor use. This detail is very important especially in extreme winter/summer climates. This type of flooring needs maintenance based on natural oils for outdoor protection. On the other hand it is also more sensitive to scratches so it eventually has to be polished.
Technical floors.
It is another good option to save the slopes that usually have the attics to direct the water to the drains.
Synthetic turf.
An increasingly popular alternative because of its easy maintenance and low cost compared to pallets
If the attic has a considerable surface area, the ideal is to make a design that contemplates the combination of these alternatives and complement it with a good selection of plants, decorative stones, flowerpots and some other personal element such as personalized fountains, a vertical garden on an adjoining wall or something similar.
Built-in planter or pots?
We can perfectly combine these two options in the penthouse gardens. Building a site planter is an important decision, because we cannot change your situation. In the case of the pots we have the disadvantage of not being able to make a plant composition with the same effect as in the building site planter.
The combination and use of the space of the planter allows us to create an environment similar to an outdoor garden bed.
In this attic, the combination of pots, gravel, floorboards and the slate columns create a harmonious environment. Different plant formations and the combination of colours give it personality.
Pergolas and trellises
When the time comes to differentiate areas, lattices, screens and pergolas are indispensable. The choice of material will determine the atmosphere we want. The choice of wood will always offer us more warmth than metal or synthetic structures, although the latter have evolved in such a way that they are capable of resembling wood as is the case with aluminium structures with imitation of different textures.
Sometimes a lattice offers us an optical effect with a decorative purpose to conceal a wall that breaks the harmony. On the other hand, it is also used as a support for climbers. It can be selected in natural wood, pvc or synthetic according to the design that the environment will have.
On the other hand, the environment achieved by the collection of a pergola, provides us with a differentiation of areas. Generally they are used to place the furniture, to give shade and protection from the rain.
Water games
Just as we must take into account aspects such as aromas, colours and textures?we must bear in mind that sometimes the sound of a fountain is certainly relaxing.
Possibly the reason for the absence of this type of option in attics is the difficulty of achieving a perfect watertightness, when we refer to custom-made construction. Below I show three different examples of water games.
For this project, a granite trough has been used as a container. A closed circuit allowed the water to be recycled through a low-flow pump connected to an adjustable installation.
A fountain in combination with side planters perfectly integrated the chosen plants with the texture of the stone. The latticework set plays an important role in the environment.
Sometimes a mirror achieves the necessary spatial depth. If we add to this a curtain of moving water sliding down the mirror, we achieve a truly amazing effect.
Irrigation system
Although the importance of an automatic watering system is not overlooked, I will now set out several reasons why it is indispensable.
-Doses the ideal dose to each plant, thanks to the different types of irrigation emitters
-Offers a watering frequency, so the plant gets used to the location immediately
-Allows us to choose the watering schedule and frequency, which is convenient because we don't have to worry about doing it manually
-It is also possible to apply phytosanitary products, fertilisers, etc. by means of dosage adapters.