Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Barbara Bryant does not have to go far to exercise her green thumb.
The Cambridge resident transformed a garage rooftop behind her home into a garden, growing herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
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"We’ve got oregano and rosemary and thyme, parsley, and tarragon, and all of this has survived a few freezes, which is fantastic," Bryant told WBZ NewsRadio Wednesday.
A similar, nearby garage rooftop garden inspired Bryant to build her own.
1 of 3 Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
2 of 3 Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
3 of 3 Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
"This garage is the equivalent of a six-car garage, and it’s shared amongst four living units and two houses, so the space that we have up here is about 1,200 square feet of space," Bryant said. "We built a deck out and we’ve got five rectangular containers that are about three feet by nine feet, and then we have a perimeter with some additional containers with deeper soil."
Bryant spent years dreaming about her own gardening space and hopes her project inspires more people to garden in the city.
"Be fearless," said Bryant. "Just go for it."
Recover Green Roofs, LLC, a Somerville-based green roof firm, collaborated with architect Anthony Sanchez, Cowen Associates Structural Engineers, and Justin Kelly Contracting to design and build the farm and structure. In partnership with Conservation Technology and Earthwater Design Solutions, they installed a rainwater harvest system to support rooftop irrigation.
“Working with Barb was a pleasure, and this project has truly enhanced the neighborhood,” Mark Winterer noted, highlighting the community impact.
WBZ’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.