Few things are more desirable in a home than having a nice garden. But for many, that is far from the reality. You may only have a small patch or even just a concrete backyard. Adding some floral blooms is not easy.

However, if you have a flat roof, it may be possible to do quite a bit with this to provide some colour. As long as you can access it safely, it is a space you can make good use of and can bring a lot of greenery, often in short supply in a densely built-up city like Manchester.

Writing for the Guardian, gardening author Allan Jenkins recently wrote about his rooftop terrace garden In London. The plants featured included daffodils and tulips in pots, the first familiar shoots of a coming spring, while the bids of a Bengal Crimson rose were showing.

Mr Jenkins revealed the presence of a roof terrace was a key reason he and his partner bought their flat, precisely because it provided a pleasant elevated space to enjoy and grow plants on, an escape from busy urban life.

Discussing the benefits of a flat roof garden in 2022, Homes and Gardens noted that they can offer “incredible views and breathtaking vistas”.

However, it also noted how householders need to be realistic; there are challenges such as limits to the weight the roof can take, difficulties involved in getting some plants up there, plus extra wind exposure.

Good maintenance is always important for a flat roof, but even more so if you are going to put plants up there. It means ensuring the structure is always sound and strong, while good waterproofing, always important to prevent rain dripping through below, is more important still when you will be watering those plants too.

A rooftop garden can certainly brighten your home, but it must never be at the expense of ensuring it is kept in tip-top shape.