Beautiful and bountiful rooftop garden grows atop former LES squat

The walls of NYC's <a href="http://www.umbrellahouse.nyc/" target="_blank">Umbrella House</a> have so many stories to tell, and now the roof of the former squat at 21 Avenue C will have a special one of its own with the installation of a flourishing <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/tag/green-roof/" target="_blank"> rooftop garden</a>. Since 1988, many people down on their luck have rebuilt their lives inside the Lower East Side building. So it seems only fitting that residents of the building, which was turned into a limited-equity co-op years ago, have converted the barren concrete that tops it into a lush vegetable and herb farm.

In 2012, residents began working with sustainable architect Paul Castrucci to plan out the 820 square-foot garden.

Preparing the roof top for such an ambitious project included installing structural steel framing and concrete planking to build the raised 8” planting beds.

Additionally, the plan included a storm water management strategy that hopefully will serve as an example for future urban gardens.

The total construction cost of the gardn came to $150,000.

In its first growing season, the garden proved to be boutiful by producing a host of veggies and herbs.

The garden also has a medicinal plant section with hyssop, lemon balm, chamomile, calendula, and passion flower.