A flowering smörgåsbord

Picture a sea of dropwort, lady’s bedstraw, field scabious, water avens, oxeye daisies, and harebells, all swaying in the wind. And this meadow can be found five floors up, on a roof! That was the image Johanna Palmberg had in her mind when she read about the newly constructed Lindes Terrass block in Årsta. There were a number of growing boxes on the roof terrace. She wanted to transform these into a Swedish summer meadow, so she contacted the Board of Directors of the new homeowner’s association with her suggestion.

“I was given permission to replace the standard plants. I also explained that I could look after the boxes and pay for the plants and seeds I buy,” says Johanna.

Johanna developed an interest in gardening at an early age, when her mother introduced her to the world of pot plants.

“My grandparents on both sides were also very interested in gardening. From a very young age I knew I wanted to study science, and in the end that was biology, botany and biochemistry, all of which are very useful both in my free time and my working life."

For many years, Johanna has worked for Sida, the Swedish agency for development cooperation, where she is now responsible for global efforts within natural resources and biodiversity.

“Over the years, I’ve been posted abroad several times, and as a bonus, alongside work I’ve been able to immerse myself in the bird, animal, and plant life of other countries. Sometimes I’ve had the benefit of living with access to a garden. Being able to create something in a tropical country in a year that would take five years here is such fun.” But up on the roof there’s a Nordic climate. To create a hedge that breaks up the wind and creates a good microclimate, she has planted feather reed grass, a tall grass that doesn’t self-seed. The idea of the new garden hasn’t merely been to bring in plants other than the ‘standard range’, but also to benefit biodiversity by creating a toxin-free and multifaceted environment for humans and insects.

“I’ve set out an insect hotel for solitary bees and bumble bees and chosen plants that give a long season, with early-flowering spring bulbs followed by Swedish meadow flowers. The aim is to create a smörgåsbord for our senses and to give our pollinators plenty of food.”

As well as enjoying the ‘meadow’ herself, Johanna loves photographing the flowers – and inspiring others, both green-fingered and not, to combine practicality and pleasure through minimal effort.

“I want to show that it’s possible to create an easily maintained planting box by using typical Swedish plants that give an attractive display from spring to autumn, and which also help the vital insects living in our cities.”

As spring arrives, Johanna looks forward to seeing her plants spread and bloom.

“The plant I most want to see is lady’s bedstraw, which smells amazing and produces fluffy yellow clouds of flowers about when the first strawberries arrive, in June or July.