Raise the roof
Take a tour of this couple’s stunning terrace with a view
The minute Catherine saw the roof terrace, she recognised its potential. ‘Having lived in Primrose Hill all my life, I know how rare it is to find this much space, light and privacy. Most gardens round here are small, shady and damp,’ she says, while hers has sweeping views of the London Eye, the Shard and BT Tower.
‘And, on 5 November, we get to watch everyone else’s fireworks,’ she adds.
Originally, the roof terrace was no more than paving slabs, half a dozen empty pots and metal railings that afforded no shelter. Even though the apartment has a concrete roof, the weight needs to be restricted and distributed evenly. ‘I somehow had to establish enough planting areas that are sufficiently large that the soil does not readily dry out,’ explains Catherine.
Inspired by visits to Beth Chatto’s gravel garden, Catherine then sought out really resilient plants that would cope with the hot dry conditions of her roof terrace, while giving year-round interest. ‘It’s taken much trial and error,’ she admits. ‘I have owned a garden on the windswept, sun-baked Suffolk coast. This is comparable, but without the salt in the air, so I’ve used similar plants.’
The Long Borders From the sitting room, floor-toceiling glass windows and doors frame views of the long borders where Catherine aims to have something of interest for every season. ‘For winter, I sink in pots of snowdrops and other later spring bulbs such as alliums,’ she adds.
They shine out against a permanent evergreen backdrop of palm and olive trees – ‘they love it’ – mixed with perennials and pots of succulents.
Self-seeders thrive, including orange Californian poppies and fleabane, which tumbles freely in a mass of tiny white flowers. A particular favourite is blue rock bindweed, Convolvulus sabatius, which cascades down beside a bench.
‘It was sold as a bedding plant, but has lasted with me for 15 years,’ marvels Catherine. ‘Being so near to central London, we rarely see frost, but it has had the occasional covering of snow.’
The Dining Area
Fragrant plants dominate the area round the dining table, with evergreen star jasmine, lavenders and roses, such as the rambler ‘Malvern Hills’, or ‘Macmillan Nurse’ which is grown as a standard. Agapanthus are most rewarding, especially the knee-high variety ‘Charlotte’.
‘Having lived in Primrose Hill, I know how rare it is to find this much space’
‘It’s brilliant – last year I counted 30 flower buds.’ The raised housing that hides the lift platform doubles as staging for bowls of small spring bulbs followed by a display of succulents such as echeverias.
‘They do particularly well here,’ says Catherine. ‘I also grow them in hanging baskets that dry out far too quickly for most plants.’
She now avoids thirsty plants such as dahlias and traditional bedding. ‘One year, it took nearly two hours a day to water,’ she recalls.
‘And I’ve given up on automatic watering systems – it’s like a nightmare Meccano to set up, and I move pots around too much for it to be reliable.’ Now, she relies on a mix of self-watering pots and hand watering. ‘This way, you learn so much more about individual plants’ needs.’
Surprisingly, being five floors up, she still finds slugs and snails, and has to protect precious bulbs from squirrels. ‘The Whittallii tulip is caviar to squirrels!’
Hidden from View
The far corner, measuring 6m x 4m, houses a bench, shaded swing seat, greenhouse, miniature kitchen garden and work area. ‘This area can’t be fully seen from indoors, so I don’t have to worry about how it looks in winter and spring,’ says Catherine.
It is therefore ideal for fruit, vegetables and roses, as well as clematis such as ‘Rebecca’ and ‘Madame Julia Correvin’ which covers the trellis in a rich pink flowers throughout the summer. ‘It’s an absolute stunner. It’s been in the same large pot for 16 years, and is utterly reliable. All it needs is regular watering in summer, and cutting back in spring.’
Nearby is honeybush, Melianthus major, an evergreen shrub grown for its exotic blue-grey foliage.
‘It was one of the first plants here, and just loves the conditions.’ Standing proud behind an elegant oak bench is ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea, bearing upwards of 20 large creamy flower heads that gradually dry, lasting until spring when the plant is cut back. ‘It’s a bit of a challenge keeping up with the watering, but it looks so magnificent in bloom,’ says Catherine.
Growing Your Own
Catherine focuses on edibles with picking appeal, planting small quantities in an assortment of plastic pots, troughs and galvanised cans.
‘Nothing beats the flavour of a freshly pulled carrot, or popping a young pea pod,’ she says. She favours dwarf varieties such as ‘Bingo’ peas or ‘Patio Star’ courgettes and, with only two mouths to feed, has learned not to over-sow.
‘The great thing is being able to pick just a handful of young vegetables, and have them on your plate within 15 minutes.’
The Greenhouse
Initially, Catherine made do with a small polythene greenhouse, but it did not last, so she is delighted with this small model (Elite Compact 4 x 4 from greenhousesdirect.co.uk) which came in kit form and was easy to install.
‘It’s invaluable for overwintering succulents and citrus, as well as growing tomatoes in summer,’ she explains. She even harvested five melons. ‘But the plant was so rampant, it escaped outside through the ceiling vent.’
Now she only grows wellbehaved plants, ensuring room for herself and a solar-powered radio. Each year she sows seeds for sweet peas, beans, peas and courgettes. ‘I’ve been gardening for nearly 50 years
– a love I inherited from my mother – and can’t imagine not having somewhere to nurture plants, and the excitement of planning what to grow.’
For nine years, Catherine and Paddy, Emeritus Professor at London Business School, had a country garden in Suffolk, prior to returning in 2017 to the London apartment. ‘I thought I’d miss a large garden enormously, but it’s made me focus on those plants that bring greatest joy.’
Catherine says it is hard to know the best time of day to be on the terrace, whether it is seeing the sun rise over the City’s sky scrapers, entertaining for lunch with fresh cut-andcome-again salad, or watching the sun sink behind tower blocks while nursing a gin and tonic with lemon picked from their citrus tree. ‘It doesn’t get much better than that,’ she says.