The rooftop carrot farm in Essex is a bit of a mystery. How did the edible variety get there? We do seed the wild Daucus carota, on roofs but not certainly these. However amongst the lush carrot foliage there are a few gems that are attracting late pollinators to the roof in a garden in Essex.
Look what Nathalie Baumann found on the green roof – Swiss Quality Control in Action.
Rooftop Carrot – would it pass the Supermarket Test?
It is unlikely the rooftop carrot would pass the supermarket test. However our expert panel of John and Nathalie think a carrot is a carrot, whether it is long and ‘handsome’ or irregular and ‘ugly.
Johan and Nathalie discuss rooftop carrot farming in Essex
A carrot is a carrot, as long as it tastes like a carrot.
Autumn Brings Other Gems to the green roof
Conformity should not be the order of the day. Although we favour using native vegetation of green roofs, a garden green roof has room for others. This wannabe carrot farm holds a few gems. Amongst the lush carrot vegetation, the edelweiss blooms were a little surprise for Nathalie Baumann being Swiss. This is an excellent rockery garden plant and thus suited to the conditions on an extensive green roof.
In its native range, Edelweiss is sadly endangered.
Edelweiss on a green roof
Another garden plant also blooms amongst the carrot farm. Cyclamen are good to plant on green roofs and will spread in time. They are also attractive to late pollinators seeking nectar at this time of year.
There are a few other bulbs that can be planted and flower in autumn. These include Meadow Saffron, which is easy to purchase these days, and autumn squill that is native the cliffs of England.
So the tip here is, even if your green roof turns into a rooftop carrot farm, it can host some floral gems. Adding early and late bulbs to a green roof can provide a touch beauty whilst providing early and late nectar for our native invertebrate fauna.
