Tate St Ives Roof Garden – A Coastal Wildflower Landscape in Cornwall

Tate St Ives roof garden - a coastal meadow

Supporting Wildlife and Local Biodiversity on the Cornish Coast

On the north Cornish coastline in St Ives, Tate St Ives opened its new extension in autumn 2017. On the roof sits a garden—though not a traditional one. This is a public coastal wildflower landscape, designed as a place to walk, sit, and experience a planted environment that reflects the surrounding Cornish coastline.

The building itself is clad in turquoise ceramic tiles designed by architect Jamie Fobert, referencing St Ives’ ceramic heritage and echoing the colours of sea and sky.

In 2017, working with landscape architect Andrew Rathbone, Juniper Gardens helped install and plant the Tate St Ives roof garden, and now manages its ongoing development and maintenance.Supporting wildlife and local biodiversity

Coastal wildflower gardening in Cornwall

The Tate St Ives roof garden is designed as a coastal wildflower meadow, seeded with a specialist mix of native perennial species including oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), musk mallow (Malva moschata), and a range of grasses to provide seasonal flowering structure from spring through summer.

To reflect the surrounding maritime environment, the meadow is interplanted with native coastal species such as sea thrift (Armeria maritima), sea campion (Silene vulgaris maritima), and sea kale (Crambe maritima). The blue-green foliage of sea kale visually links the planting to the ceramic façade and the Atlantic beyond.

The growing medium is specially engineered for roof gardens: lightweight, free draining, and low in nutrients. A key component is LECA (Light Expanded Clay Aggregate), which supports drainage and structural weight limits while creating conditions suitable for coastal species.

This approach draws on principles used across my work in ecological and wildlife gardening in Cornwall, where planting is tailored to site conditions, exposure, and soil type.

Biodiversity, Structure and Layering

Species diversity in the roof garden is expressed not only through seasonal flowering, but also through vertical layering, with different plants occupying distinct ecological niches. This layered garden structure and planting design mirrors natural ecosystems and supports a wider range of insects and wildlife.

Oxeye daisy forms the canopy layer, while species such as sea campion, red clover (Trifolium pratense), and roseroot (Rhodiola rosea) occupy the ground layer. This diversity increases ecological resilience and creates a dynamic, evolving landscape throughout the year.

Managing a Coastal Roof Meadow

Wildflower meadows are typically cut two to three times per year to reduce grass dominance and increase species diversity. Cuttings are removed to keep soil fertility low, favouring wildflower species.

On the Tate St Ives roof garden, cutting regimes are adapted to weather conditions, particularly rainfall and drought. The exposed coastal rooftop environment naturally limits grass vigour, allowing the planting to evolve in response to climate pressures.

The aim is to allow a resilient plant community to establish—species naturally selected by local conditions such as hot, dry summers and high winds—while recognising that rooftop substrates differ fundamentally from natural cliff habitats. Ongoing monitoring is essential during extreme weather.

Projects such as the Tate St Ives roof garden demonstrate how specialist horticultural knowledge can be applied to complex public and institutional landscapes. This approach also informs my work in commercial gardening and grounds maintenance, where long-term plant health, resilience, and site-specific management are essential for professional landscapes.

Horticulture, Culture and Wellbeing

Public landscapes such as the Tate St Ives roof garden demonstrate how horticulture can shape cultural spaces, support biodiversity, and enhance human wellbeing in urban environments. These connections between people, plants, and place are explored further in my article on the benefits of horticulture.

Other plants you may find on the roof garden

Achillea millefolium – yarrow

Armeria maritima - sea thrift

Aster tripolium - sea aster

Cochlearia officianallis - scurvy grass

Crambe maritma - sea kale

Daucus carota - wild carrot

Echium vulgare - viper’s bugloss

Leucanthemum vulgare -oxeye daisy

Lotus corniculatus - birdsfoot trefoil

Malva moschata - musk mallow

Rhodiola rosea - golden root

Rosa pimpinellifolia - burnet rose

Scilla verna - spring squill

Silene vulgaris maritima - sea campion

Trifolium pratense - wild red clover

Roof Garden at Tate St Ives – Questions & Answers

What makes the Tate St Ives roof garden different from a traditional garden?

The roof garden at Tate St Ives is designed as a coastal wildflower meadow rather than a formal ornamental space. It reflects the surrounding Cornish landscape, blending granite, native planting and open sky into a biodiverse public environment. It is a garden that feels natural, wind-shaped and rooted in place.

Who maintains the Tate St Ives roof meadow?

Juniper Gardens manages and maintains the roof meadow and associated green spaces. This involves specialist ecological care rather than conventional horticulture — understanding coastal conditions, soil depth constraints, wind exposure, and seasonal meadow management techniques.

What plants are used in a coastal roof meadow?

The planting palette is inspired by native and coastal-adapted species that thrive in exposed, low-nutrient environments. Wildflowers and grasses are selected to:

  • Support pollinators and biodiversity

  • Withstand salt-laden winds

  • Reflect the surrounding Cornish cliffs and headlands

Plant choice is guided by sustainability, resilience and ecological integrity.

Is maintaining a roof garden different from maintaining a ground-level garden?

Yes. Roof gardens require specialist knowledge. Factors such as:

  • Drainage systems

  • Soil depth limitations

  • Wind desiccation

  • Load-bearing constraints

must all be considered. Maintenance is lighter-touch and ecology-led, focused on seasonal meadow cycles rather than constant intervention.

Why are wildflower meadows important in Cornwall?

Wildflower meadows support declining pollinators and increase biodiversity. In coastal towns like St Ives, they help soften built environments and reconnect people with the natural character of the landscape.

Can Juniper Gardens manage other commercial or public green spaces?

Yes. Alongside specialist roof gardens, we provide professional commercial garden maintenance for galleries, cultural institutions, holiday properties and high-end sites across Cornwall. Our approach combines horticultural precision with ecological sensitivity and reliability.

How often is a wildflower roof meadow maintained?

Unlike formal gardens requiring weekly visits, meadow spaces are managed seasonally. This includes:

  • Selective weeding

  • Monitoring plant balance

  • Annual or biannual meadow cuts

  • Ongoing ecological observation

The aim is to guide the meadow rather than control it.