Taiwan is a crowded island, none more so than the urban areas, but even in this concrete suburbia, you can still find ways to be near nature… even in the middle of the east district of Taipei, where the famous 101 is!
Rooftop gardens are one of the best ways. If you are lucky, you may own the top floor of an apartment, or the entire building… Our neighbors creatively ‘borrowed’ the top floor and built a sort of hideaway garden on the 21st floor.
To achieve the effect of a garden, some work is required. First a trip to the local hardware and plant store so you can stock up on the plants, ferns, flowers and trees needed. You’ll also need something more solid to protect the plants against high winds. Strong, light and secured fencing may help.
Now you need to choose your garden furniture, so choose carefully and make sure it’s secured from typhoon winds. Perhaps some good teak outdoor furniture that can be moved inside easily and quickly, or some robust iron furniture that can be anchored to the ground firmly.
It’s not difficult to create a roof-top garden, it’s definitely something I would like to do, but right now I can only dream…!