The Setting

If you’ve ever looked up at some lovely verdant roof top terrace and like me, you’re sort of curious to know what it looks like, then stay with me.

Today I’m going to take you readers to a really special place. We are in the heart of the city of Vicenza, so with buildings and rooftops and traffic not far away.

But up here on the roof terrace, any outside noises are muffled by a green wall of various trees, bushes and flowering plants. There are cozy wicker chairs where you can snuggle into a leafy corner to read a book. And a bench with red cushions in front of a table if you want to invite friends over.

It feels peaceful and serene but at the same time it’s full of life: there are buzzing insects moving one from flower to the next. There’s a hummingbird moth which we try to film but he’s too fast for us. Other creepy-crawlies do their thing and birds fly overhead.

To be able to live in a city, close to amenities and everything you need, but have a private green space to connect with nature and decompress after work- that’s the best.

How did it all begin?

The owner developed this green oasis in just a few years. He saw the potential to turn an unloved and simple terrace into something more exotic.

He has years of self-taught knowledge about flowers. And has that instinct that only those with green fingers have: to understand which plants get on well near each other; to know how much to prune, water, feed or not.

So how do you dream up your own Green Oasis?

Think about the overall sensorial experience you want to create:

something for the eyes: this gardener recommends choosing one colour scheme or a harmony of colours which work well together. So he has the rich white flowers of the gardenia, frangipani and jasmine. They are the neutrals of the garden.

Then there are pink and yellow pops of colour and finally light blues and violet.

Something for the nose: the white flowers mentioned earlier all have an intense scent. Then there are the perfumed roses.

Something for the ears: as you acclimatise to life in the garden, you tend to pay less attention to to traffic and closer attention to insect life and the sound of birds.

To bring these creatures into the garden, you can choose plants which attract insects, such as the budleia which always has butterflies around it.

Something for the spirit: all the different shades of green help to reduce feelings of stress.

Creating your garden space Step by Step:

You need tall trees like palms, which are going to stretch up their leaves to the sky and give height and privacy.

In this garden there is also a mulberry tree, an unexpected gift as it was probably born from a seed dropped by a passing bird.

In Vicenza the mulberry tree is more common than you would expect. Back in the 1500’s the production of silk made the fortunes of some local families. All that silk came from the silkworms which feed on the leafy branches of the mulberry tree.

Then you need medium-size bushes to fill the spaces between the trees.

Flowering bushes will allow you to play with colour. They will offer tendrils which catch the breeze.

You can add some succulents for their bold and strong leaf shapes.

The foxtail agave agave attenuata doesn’t have any sharp spines.

Finally fill in the spaces with smaller plants like the aromatics: mint and lemon verbena.

Add slow-growing plants with interesting leaves like the coffee plant with its super shiny leaves.

And once you’re done, it’s time to share with your friends!

What about you? Do you have a dream to create your own green rooftop?