How to create your own rooftop garden

On the rooftop – that's where Monica McKenna wants to be. About 17 years ago the photographer set up shop in an old industrial area close to Toronto's waterfront. After renovating her three-storey building into a large studio on the main floor with living space above – and getting married – Monica realized she and her husband, Jérôme McKenna-Boré, could gain a little greenery and a lot of great outdoors by moving up and out onto their 2,000-square-foot rooftop.

Over the pea gravel on the roof, they built a slightly raised deck along the west end. High latticework walls and a pergola of beams attached to upright sections of old TV-aerial towers give the self-seeding morning-glory vines and winter-hardy Virginia creepers something to climb around and over the deck. Along with the nearby trees, they help protect the sitting area from too much sun and wind.

Grouped together on the deck and roof, deep, homemade wooden containers and lots of pots serve as Monica's flowerbeds. The colour-saturated foliage of coleus and trailing sweet potato vine easily stands up to the vibrant sunflowers, dahlias, begonias and magenta morning glories. And her generous plantings of culinary herbs are appreciated as much for their good looks as for their scent and flavour.

"Magic hour"
Monica and Jérôme love the leafy escape they've created. "It's precious to me," says Monica, "and I enjoy it thoroughly." From their green perch above a sea of asphalt, the couple can catch the sunrise, see sailboats on Lake Ontario in the afternoons, and hear how an evening soccer game's going in nearby Lamport Stadium. But when the late-day sun dips toward the horizon, it's "magic hour" for Monica. "There's a gorgeous golden light that fills the garden. The view of the city is unbelievable – with all that gold light reflecting off the buildings."

Page 1 of 2 -- On page 2, find out how to make your own rooftop garden, plus online resources and rooftop garden clubs.