I was thinking, there’s a ton of rooftop space on top of nyc apartment buildings, and it’s often pretty easy to get onto the roofs. Are there any potted plants i can leave up there that need zero care and are good for local pollinators or native wildlife or whatever?
They’d need to be small and light enough to climb up with.
Ideas?
Water flows down. There is more shade at street level, and it is more humid. The bustle of life brings detritus to these cracks, providing nutrients.
The top of a tall building is going to be more arid, and-unless you have some way to attract birds-a limited amount of nutrients.
Instead of a pot, consider a trough or elevated garden.
I suggest finding companion plants that go with plants called out in these types of sites: https://www.nycgovparks.org/learn/trees-and-plants/native-plants-of-new-york-city. Call small suburban greenhouses and chat people up to find hardy shrubs. Consider collecting rainwater and putting the distribution on a timer over night.
Attract birds with fruiting plants and pollinators. Bird poop, insect carcasses, etc. If you can compost, that will help, too. Worms and food waste will also help.
Good suggestions, thanks!
A trough or elevated bed or ongoing maintenance isn’t possible in the kind of quick hit unofficial guerilla action that i can do.
The thing that got me thinking it is that I’ve seen years-abandoned pots on nyc rooftops that have wild plants that grew themselves there. So the conditions (whatever they are) can easily support unattended plant life, so the question is which ones will work there that are good for pollinators or the environment?
I think LibertyLizard’s suggestion to check with a local native plant society is spot on. A place like Lemmy is great to ask a wide variety of opinions, but specialized knowledge is best gleaned from the experts.
I know it’s an oxymoron, but think about creating an open terrarium.
Also, I love the idea of guerilla gardening.