Tree of Heaven

Home By Design

An outdoor kitchen and dining area was a priority for the avid foodies. Lindsay installed wild plantings to attract pollinators like honeybees and butterflies. The designer also utilized natural materials in her furnishings to complement the existing patinaed decking.

Landscape designer Georgia Lindsay has worked on all types of projects, from sprawling suburban estates to urban gardens. But when her clients reached out about designing a rooftop terrace atop their London, England home, she was awestruck. Growing up through the home’s atrium to the rooftop terrace was a majestic Ailanthus altissima tree. “You don’t often get to work on a project this unique,” says the designer. “There’s a glass staircase that circles the trunk of the tree that leads up to the terrace. It’s a very dramatic entrance to the home. The tree is named a tree of heaven, which is quite apt because you almost feel like it’s heaven on earth up there. We wanted the tree to be the hero of this unusual space.”

Located on the longest mews in historic Camden, North London, the home boasted one of the largest rooftop terraces in the city. It was also a blank canvas for Lindsay, whose directive from her clients was to create a space where they could seamlessly entertain a few friends or larger parties, tap into their love of food, and simply gather as a couple.

Lindsay sectioned off the existing patinaed wood deck into four living sections. “They were quite keen for the space to be flexible,” she says. Lindsay designed a luxury outdoor kitchen (with a cedar shingle–clad tower concealing the dumbwaiter to the kitchen below), reading nook, living rooms, kids’ craft area, and herb garden. “Georgia created the perfect private spots to enjoy a book and a glass of chilled rosé,” says the homeowner.

Lindsay filled the planters with an abundance of wild plantings to attract pollinators like honeybees and butterflies. The clients also have another home in the countryside, which had an expansive garden. “They have a real love of plants and they wanted to bring an element of that wildness of pollinators and being as abundant as possible to this space. The homeowners really have an appreciation of nature; the circular element of life, seeing that plants aren’t just here for beauty but to promote life,” she explains of incorporating pollinating plants such as Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’.

The tree of heaven, though, remains the centerpiece of the terrace. Its mature limbs and leaves throw shade over the dining table where the couple hosts dinner parties. At night, the uplit tree canopy casts moody shadows that transform the space into a dreamy escape from the urban cityscape below.

“Georgia delivered on all fronts, along with creating a fabulous outdoor kitchen and lovely seating nooks surrounded by burgeoning planting,” says the homeowner. “Our rooftop terrace brings constant joy throughout the year with her clever planting and design ideas.”

Rooftop Garden Checklist

Landscape designer Georgia Lindsay weighs in on her rooftop garden dos.

DO find out how much weight the roof can handle. “Large containers full of compost, plants, and trees weigh a lot! It quickly adds up,” she says. “Employing a chartered surveyor is a good investment from the outset.”

DO try to create zoned areas to break up the wind factor. “Roof terraces will feel a lot windier than at ground level; so, add windbreaks such as trees to create natural screening,” suggests Lindsay. “Pinus mugo is a very wind-resistant pine that will help create sheltered nooks.”

DO raise planters off the ground. “Containers should be raised off the ground and excess water should flow directly to a drainpipe outlet to avoid them getting waterlogged,” she says.

To maximize space, Lindsay designed custom, built-in seating. To soften the planters, Lindsay incorporated trailing plants amongst flowering pollinators.