Gordon's Roof Garden today

Just a suggestion ... I know many are interested in Gordon's rooftop garden and all the plants he is growing. If this treads gets off topic on "other" plants for too many posts, I know that admin will sometimes move them to another forum. I think it would be great if Gordon wanted to post photos of the blooms of his Brugs (or any other plants - I, too, love them all), but perhaps it would be best to start a different thread on the appropriate forum for those photos. He initially started this thread for his MG vines and I, for one, would prefer this thread to stay in this forum. I hope y'all understand. :-) ;-) I hope my request doesn't offend anyone. I know many are enjoying Gordon's amazing paradise in the middle of the concrete and asphalt jungle!

Gordon - I didn't know your mom was ill. I hope she is improving and feeling better!

This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 8:25 AM

whatever

Well Becky... what makes you think my mom is other than fine.. Cindy..wishing she is doing well.. as they have met in LA .. was just hoping she was .. not that she hadn't.. been. although touring plants about the country with me.. might cause a severe bout of euphoria.. mother is having some bit of a problem with her new Bonneville.. complaining the thing tops a hill while she's driving... at 80.. and as she starts down the other side it's up over 90 mph..[ due to a coasting mode the transmission goes into .. rather than having the engine brake it as the gas it cut down..] She's 87 yo.
Also Becky... please let the management police it here.. I've posted nothing but my MG's here.. and answered direct questions.. unfortunately all of the photos contain other flowers as it is such a tangled web I weve.. I hope my request doesn't offend you.. if they move this... I'll start a new one for the MG's .. don't worry.. and now for the new ones.. or perhaps new looks at old cultivars..
So I've posted pictures of the roof's mg's.. there is also the street planter I have.. right now they have grown up to 29 feet off the ground.. maybe I should post a contest as to how high they will go... I look to se them somewhat over 40 feet by summers end..
Gordon

This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 11:05 AM

As the street planter get above the doorway.. I've pulled a awanning trellis off the verticle... line...which is the dripirrigation feed from the roof to the street planter.. it's watered three times a day with the roof plants.. I start the awanning after the main growt tips are above it as I don'tt want them to go out over the door with the majority of the growth.. as the awanning is filled in.. it will grow over and drop down on the other side.. where I'll trim it to about three feet of hang down there.. Gordon

yes.. there are flowers on it also... about 6-8 types I'd guess.. a view from my 4 th floor window..
Gordon

Well... the great advantage of planting morning glories is how they will be happy invading any available space neglected by other plants... sometimes secureing them in the wind.. and providing a floral arrangment for viewing..rather than just a display.. Gordon

This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 11:22 AM

Gordon, Wow between you and Becky, you must grow every MG available. Becky gave me my first ever MG seeds this past spring. I'm eager to start more next year. I have a patio that I thought was impossible because it is up in the air and hot and exposed. Your pictures of your roof garden have given me ideas. Please keep posting more.

the Mg's don't mind competiition with any plant... they have their ways of getting by... even with an agressive honeysuckle.. Gordon

Hi Pam... well Becky grows out far more than I do... a much more scientific grower.. as she has space to isolate cultivars... and her involvment in the genus goes back longer .. but she is a dear sending out so many seeds .. Go Girl..
Yes.. the MG's are perfect for a full sun ..exposed and hot environment.. I use about a 60 lb test monofilment fishing line for most of the trellising.. but for things carrying more load... such as the line running up to the antenna and down the other side.. effectively making a guidewire where I use a 150 lb test line.. as it has to take the force of it swaying about when it has a full complement of foilage/ creating in effect a large sail.. I do get tremendeous winds up there... and it's a small wonder they do so well so exposed..so high..
So plant away get a higher place to run the lines from.. a near by tree... a pole lashed to your railling to run down from.. or a neighbors upper patio.. string it up.. and plant below... they will take care of everything else... except for their feeding and watering.. Gordon
this view is of the trellis... and looking down the rooftop.. Yes.. guests are given a GPS to help them find their way back..

sydney480 - Sorry to offend. Not intended. I just want to be able to find this thread should it get moved.

Gordon - This photo is just beautiful! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5390442 What a lovely contrast! :-)

Very kind of you to call me a "scientific grower"! :-) Actually, I am just a curious gardener and ask a LOT of questions. (Most of which are probably pretty stupid.) I'm a newbie gardener ... so I have much to learn! Gordon - YOU have taught me a LOT just on this thread alone! :-) I am truly impressed that you have defied the odds of having a gorgeous garden from atop a building. I know it can be done, but it's rare to find such an undertaking. Your rooftop garden is much, much more lush than my ground garden! :-) Just goes to prove that you do NOT have to have a yard, to have a beautiful garden. You bring hope to many city dwellers who long for such a retreat in their personal lives. My hat is off to you!!! :-)

Also ... Your street planter is amazing! Your creativity and vision is commendable! I so think you and your rooftop paradise needs to be spotlighted in national gardening magazine! :-)

Gordon, I'm not sure I read how you tied the lines so high up! Did you have a cherry picker help you?? LOL

Could you post a pic of the street container? I'd like to see how it looks on the street. And how did you get it to climb that high withou endangering life and limb? Curious minds want to know. I have a 6th floor balcony garden, and would love to string my MGs, but I get dizzy looking down just from a step stool.

Becky... well thanks... you're very kind... bring on the media... paparatzie... et al... if they don't come to get me soon they will have to read about it in the book.. Fill Every Available Space.. no it's not XXX ..but a few allureing photos perhaps..
Seed... Well up over the Antenna... I tied a messenger string to a weight .. and threw it over the bar... to it I'd tie the monofiliment line.. the 150 lb test.. and pull it over... and secure both rnds to either side.. sometimes I'd throw it a second time to loop the line around to secure it and cut down on the swaying back and forth... with the morning glory sail.. the other wall was erected and they were set loose onto it... they climb and twine quite naturally.. the street planter had the dripirrigation line dropped from the roof syported by a bit of aircraft cable to relieve the stress of the hang.. the awaning line was done from the top of a folding ladder on the sidewalk.. and tied across to the street tree infront...
sorry I don't have a picture of the planter it's self.. but I'll get you one this after noon or tomorrow.. well what you have to remember is you usually stand on a square foot or so of space, and very seldom fall right over so it doesn't really matter wher or how high that square foot is.. one's not likely to fall off of it..
well here's a new picture...

Gordon - You've got yourself a botanical jungle in the middle of the concrete jungle! Is your air cleaner and fresher on your rooftop than in the streets of the downtown areas? It looks like you are doing more than your fair share to combat pollution! :-)

Looking at most of your photos, you'd never know they were taken from the rooftop of a building. Are you able to see the plants on your rooftop from ground level looking up?

Simply Amazing!!!

Gordon...yes = just amazing....love everything you do as alwalys...ill be sending you a dmail soon....

Seed..well you don't have to wait till morning... after all.. I took a picture of it on the way out to see Bob Dylan ..doing it here in Brooklyn again.. not bad for a 67 year old guy... a great set..all the songs with a new sound it seemed..
OH.. a few years ago.. someone left the eagle there for me.. I repaired it and it's wings turn in the wind.. a month or so ago... I was left another bird / wind actiivated item.. the little white one..
Gordon

This is how the planter looks in the neighborhood... Gordon

Gordon, that is so cool!

Thanks..Rev..
well... this is my most unusual one so far.. perhaps not the prettiest,,. now it almost looks like a photo malfunction.. but I'm here to tell you it looked just that way.dark purple... withthe irredescent pink on the edge

Gordon - Wow! The street planter is quite a good size and I love the vines climbing - high up - parallel to the building! Looks like your building has all the plants!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5407302 This one looks pretty cool! I always look to see the leaves, but don't see them in the photo. Is that a possibly Night Blooming Cereus leaves in the background?

Becky.. yes it is my night blooming cereus... poor baby spent 6 years as a potmate to a cleardendrum.. this year I cut right through between themso 1/2 the roots on both were undisturbed,, and the other 1/2 were missing... I seem to now have a big cleardendrum.. and the NBC with plenty of the cleardendrum sprouting out. I have 3 types of the NBC.. and a few other eppies..
Now my favorite color in my MG's

other blooms like it

sorry.. here's the picture I wanted to post

well favorites... this surely is... velvety.. an opaque amost black flower... with a translucent pinkness of the throat.. just to sow off that the flowers not black.. but a deep purple.. some flower high and low... this ones flower is always at the top of it's vine...

Nice Gordon! What is the name of the hige? It's too light to be Indigo Feathers. Lovely color!!!

I didn't know there were several different cultivars of NBC! That's cool! :-)

This message was edited Aug 13, 2008 9:19 AM

see it must be a garden.. not a research facility.. there's a table in it.. that's the front 1/2 of the garden.. photographed from atop an access building on the next roof.. about 20' above my garden.. Gordon

Gordon - Wowzer! Your garden area looks magnificent!!! I bet you are the envy of the neighborhood! Just goes to prove ... You CAN bloom wherever you are planted! :-)

More questions ...

1) How are the trellises stabilized? Mine are posted into the ground with concrete (due to high winds).

2) Do you get freezing temps there in the winter? If so, how do you protect all your plants? Do they come in? Or do you cover them somehow?

This message was edited Aug 13, 2008 9:40 AM

Gordon -
Nice Blooms.

You should tag this one to grow out again next year. Unusual and VERY NICE!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5407302

Really like your Pale Blue HIGE
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5407844

Could this have come from the HIGE MIX I sent you?
Looks like a *cross*. I have one similar to this growing this year also.
Very Pretty Colors

Emma

Yes,, mostlikely it is yours.. I did get a few other things directly off that bidding site.. but most of my lovely pictures were from seeds I got with you... many of your babies here girl..
what fun.. got to find colored markers to tag these with .. and a reference to a type of flower in a journal to the color.. perhaps a synthetic yarn.. . Yes.. I'd like 8' of 50 coulrs please sir..
Gordon
OH.. an unusual brightness from this one...

Gordon, I've seen pics of your garden before, but the one posted from 20' above is just stellar. Please start a new thread on the container garden forum so I can see more of your plants! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/containers/all/ I'm sure others would like to see more too.

Great blooms Gordon, love the light blue hige.

Great Crimson Rambler Bloom
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5408526

Gordon, what fun to garden so high in the sky - certainly gets the imagination going. Thank you for giving us a tour - have enjoyed it so much.

Personally, to me, a flower without the context in which it grows is only a half-full glass. I wish you'd feel free to post away about all the companions growing with your MGs and any other thoughts that take off from the experience.

I think all of us who sent you seeds are especially enjoying what you've done with them.

Karen

Gordan, Loved the picture from 20' above the garden showing your umbrella covered table surrounded by all those fantastic vines and flowers.

Well somw from today... they are like the opening ceremony in China... every one is about.. and allways arranging them selves into different displays..

And I garden like monkeys picking stocks... sooner or later there will be a pattern of success..

It's also a bit like throwingg a party... you invite the ones you love and admire... and it will be grand... Gordon

Very nice blooms Gordon, great pics too.

LOVE, everything that you do Gordon..great pics once again...