When I signed on to turn the roof of the museum into a salad garden, I did not quite have a plan for how we would deal with the frequency with which it would have to be watered. Roof gardens are tough because they almost exist in a micro-climate with increased winds, blazing sun and extreme exposure. The only way for a roof garden to survive is with irrigation. As an amateur gardener, I had never tackled this before, but, the museum seemed like as good a place as any to start.

Camilla Hammer, my garden collaborator and professional garden designer, and I put our heads together and spent some time with the DripWorks Catalog. Well, to be honest, she spent a lot more time with the catalog than I, but once all the little plastic parts, hoses and knobs arrived, we started drilling, measuring, poking holes and laying tubing.

Drip irrigation is cheap and easy to figure out, and inexpensive (our whole system cost us $300).  The basic idea is that you have your water source set on a timer. Attached to spigot is a main line that can split and go in different directions. The main line is impermeable, and attaches to a bunch of “drip tape,” which is essentially just perforated rubber tubing that you lay throughout your garden beds. Once a day, the water will flow through the line and drip around the base of the plants. This is not only water efficient, but it makes life so much easier, unless you plan to never leave your garden’s side. The water flows slowly and evenly, and has a chance to really penetrate the soil and saturate the roots of the plants. The timing and placement requires a little adjustment at first, but once it comes together, the garden will practically take care of itself. Just kidding, there is much work still to be done!