This client had a new penthouse terrace with amazing views that stretched from downtown Brooklyn across the waterways and included the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. The main problem was that the developers had put no irrigation on the roof and there was no access to a system from any terraces. At first we thought about using a rain barrel, as there is a drainpipe. However this was so low to the ground and close to the door, it couldn't be used. (The Co-op rules mandate that it can't be adjusted in any way.)

So we had to find self-irrigation planters. The taller cylindrical ones we got from Sprout Home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These have 1-2 gallon reservoirs and after the roots establish in about 3 months, the tanks only need to be filled every three weeks. We chose charcoal gray, and were really pleased with how simple they were to put together and how nice they look.

The rectangular planters are custom made by Rollner Architectural Metals.

I saw their planters last year at the Brooklyn Design show, and was really impressed. These are powder-coated aluminum and weigh only about 38 pounds empty, so they were great for a weight limit. There are lots of colors to choose from, but we decided to stay in the gray/silver range. The tricky part with these was irrigation. We ended up ordering Tournesol sub-irrigation systems. They took a long time to assemble, came missing parts, etc. but hopefully were worth the hassle.

We chose hearty, wind tolerant plants. To the south, the clients wanted privay, so we planted ornamental grasses with a few lavander and sedum. These give the area a breezy, beach feel. The side with the amazing views, we went lower, so to not obstruct the skyline. Here we planted rugosa roses, lavender and sedum. The corners are anchored with trios of hearty boxwood, euonymus and berberis.

(The Rollner Architectural Metals planters are from their Tides Home line.