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FOR those living in flats, terrace gardens can be the de-stressing zones. Since smaller spaces require more self-discipline and resilience, it is better to plan your terrace garden carefully. Start with a sketch of the garden with a sense of proportion and the requirements in mind. Keep in mind the constraints of weight and drainage in addition to the limited space. Unless you are ready to spend a fortune on professional waterproofing and landscaping, forget about your dreams of a lawn on a terrace. A lawn will normally need approximately six to nine inches of soil, filters to block soil from being drained off and additional waterproofing. You can design your terrace garden by using a good combination of greens, flowering plants, climbers and an open space for sitting. While selecting plants for the terrace garden, the colour of the background is vital as white flowers will hardly show against a whitewashed wall nor red blossoms will be noticed against a brick wall. Bright colours with plenty of green or pastel shades look good against a white background and whites, lemon and light blues look good against a dark background. Choose one or two colours of flowers, at least in one season. It is a good idea to make the most of vertical spaces on a terrace garden. For this, climbers and hanging plants are useful. The boundaries of the terrace garden, whether walls or fences, should be covered with a living mantle of green which will create a neutral background giving the effect of depth to the limited space. Climbers, whether self-clinging or otherwise, are a good bet. A painted trellis placed against a wall or a network of painted or coated wires pegged into the wall can support the climbers. Ficus pimula is a beautiful self-clinging climber which can cover a north-facing wall and clerodendron splendens (grown in a tub) will give you bunches of scarlet red flowers on a shining green background from November to March-April. Annual climbers like Ipomeas, Cobaea scandens and Nasturtium also look good. A good use of the vertical spaces will be having hanging baskets with trailing flowers like geraniums, petunias, nasturtiums and evergreens like asparagus ferns, syngoniums and philodendrons. Strong iron brackets can be driven into the wall at different levels to support their weight, ensuring that each one is securely fixed. Potted plants complete the green look, though the choice of varieties will depend on how much sunlight is available. The best bet would be plants with beautiful leaves. However, a sunny terrace can have more of flowering shrubs and one or two sun-loving trees in large pots e.g. frangipani or lagerstroemia indica — depending on the size of the area. One can have an assortment of annuals, shrubs, small trees and even waterlilies in a shallow container. A new look can be acquired every time the pots are rearranged. Try to direct the visual attention to a focal point of interest be it a water body, interesting statuette or a swing. Torches and lanterns can be used to illuminate this part. Soil in containers generally lasts 12 to 18 months. Use one part sand, two parts leaf mould and one part good garden soil mixed with some bone meal and super phosphates. Constant watering will pack the soil hard, so occasional loosening by hoeing will be necessary. Also pay attention to the drainage holes. In order to have a better view of the pots, they can be placed at different levels on racks which will also felicitate the cleaning of space underneath. Avoid placing pots on the parapet lest it causes accidents. Bare essentials of furniture would complete the picture perfect to make you revel in the glory of nature.
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