Speaking of Butternut…Roof Garden! is an intensive green roof on top of a two-car garage, situated on a rear laneway in Toronto. The failing waterproofing infrastructure and existing plant material were removed, and replaced with a lush planting plan resembling the bark of the mature butternut tree that visually – and ecologically – dominates the space. The design for this space was centred on the tenets of biophilic landscape design: the 21st century desire for a (re)connection with nature and natural systems, translated into the way we design our built environment. In order to “design with nature”, we drew inspiration from the bark of the Juglans cinerea that dominates the view of the green roof from all angles. Given that it is an Ontario ‘Species at Risk’ and its ecological importance to Toronto’s urban forest, VTLA wanted to highlight the J. cinerea specimen through the green roof design. 

The client’s main interaction with the site is the view from their home office on the top floor of the house; the garden would be viewed from afar from above and across the backyard. As such, the project was developed primarily with visualizations from this vantage point, a deviation from the traditional ‘plan’ and ‘elevation’ views that guide a design process. Grading was pushed to the limits with a build up of green roof media, and plant selection focussed on massing and large-scale textures in order to create a pleasurable viewing experience from afar. 

Using a highly-tailored planting palette, VTLA was able to create an exuberant patina that showcases the seasonal gifts of each plant selection. Lovely, bright purple crocus pops up from the snow as early as mid-April, and by late May the dominant bulb is a carpet of pink Allium ‘Rosy Dream’ with bursts of purple Allium ‘Purple Sensation’. From late spring to early summer, Symphoricarpus alba flowers pink and gives way to purple flowering Liatris spicata and bright green Sporobolus heterolepsis. In the early fall, Cut-leaf sumac has its moment to shine with brilliant, fiery-red leaves. Throughout the winter, the branches of Symphoricarpus alba are heavy with gorgeous bunches of white berries, cut-leaf sumac flaunts its showy red seed pods high above, and Sporobolus heterolepsis maintains its lush texture as a caramel-hued groundcover.