John Gilbert

This major rooftop project involved every conceivable feature, including a jacuzzi and a kitchen sink! The latter is carefully concealed beneath a stainless steel hinged lid; its weatherproof, custom-made teak cabinet (see the left-hand picture on the bottom row) also hides a refrigerator and storage for glasses. The ‘before’ picture is the fourth image down. The roof is carefully lit from above and from lamps set in the floor and in the risers of the steps up to the jacuzzi. Constructed largely from teak, the garden suggests the deck of an ocean-going yacht, the nautical theme reinforced by the use of stainless steel post-and-wire boundaries, steamer chairs and boating hardware for drawers and cabinets. The planting is full to provide privacy and robust enough to withstand the windy position, four floors above the street.

Roof gardens add a whole new dimension to urban living and even the smallest spaces can be exploited to advantage. This London penthouse has a larger area at the front which faces south and a smaller, narrower, north-facing one at the back.

It is really important to get the choice of plants right when you are creating gardens several floors up. Tough specimens are required to withstand the wind and it is a good idea, even when automatic irrigation is installed as it is here, to select plants that don’t dry out too easily.

Here the range of plants was chosen to provide colour and interest all year round and to have relatively low maintenance needs. The planters are of painted wood and galvanised steel .

The larger terrace, above, provides a wonderful space for outdoor entertaining and relaxing in the sun. The smaller, shadier, area (below) is perfect for a quiet breakfast or morning coffee – and, see the planters in the foreground, for growing salads and vegetables!