POKTICO, WINDOW, AND KOOF GABDENS. 269 



ROOF GARDENS. 



A garden upon the roof affords a means of plant-grow- 

 ing, either in the open air or in a green-house, that we 

 hope to see made much of in the near future. We talk 

 about not having gardens in the cities, because there is 

 no room. Is there less superficial area exposed directly 

 to the light of the heavens after building than before ? 

 The area is the same, but only so much nearer the light 

 and pure air. In most cases, where there are flat roofs, 

 and there could readily be more of them, there would 

 be found ample opportunity for cultivating a fine collec- 

 tion of hardy and tender plants, even in the hearts of 

 cities. 



One of the finest public gardens in Europe is theWa- 

 verly Garden of Edinburgh, being really a roof garden 

 over a market building. It embraces an area of about 

 seventy-five by four hundred feet, all cf which, except 

 where there are some sky-lights, is devoted to flowers, 

 grass, vases, walks, and seats. There are sixteen bor- 

 ders, averaging some seventy-five by four feet, besides a 

 number of smaller square beds, and altogether using 

 thousands of fine plants. There is also a large bed of 

 grass kept neatly mown. 



The beds and borders contain about a foot in depth of 

 soil, and this is retained by a neat stone coping through- 

 out. The edge of the roof, and the sky-lights, are 

 guarded by ornamental railings, with posts, and these 

 support many well filled vases of plants, fully one hun- 

 dred in all. Taken altogether, this roof garden, with no 

 advantages beyond tliose common to thousands of roofs 

 throughout our cities, is a most charming place, afford- 

 ing delight to all who visit it. 



The engraving (fig. 110), with the quoted matter 

 which follows, appeared in the ^^ American Agriculturist '^ 

 some time ago from the pen of Samuel B. Parsons, Esq., 



