Step into a springtime oasis, far away from snowy streets, filled with the sights, smells, and warmth of spring. This year, Olbrich Botanical Gardens invites you to stroll “above ground” through a fabulous rooftop garden overflowing with blooming spring flowers during Olbrich’s Spring Flower Show, “Springtime Skyline: An Urban Oasis,” open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from March 8 through 23. A $2 donation is suggested.
            Begin on a path that winds around the rooftop of an urban building. See the city skyline in the distance and the street far below. Marvel at the blooming forsythia and cherry tree branches as you wander past a rooftop skylight. Listen to the soothing sounds of live, cooing doves proclaiming the arrival of spring, along with a bubbling water feature. Smell fragrant spring daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and primroses in decorative containers and raised beds, and let the memories of a harsh winter melt away.
             Rooftop gardens are beautiful to look at, but also provide environmental benefits such as energy conservation, habitat restoration for birds and insects, and heat and smog reduction.
             One of the most important benefits of rooftop gardens is their ability to reduce stormwater runoff. Water is either absorbed by the root systems of the plants or returned into the atmosphere through evaporation and plant transpiration. Rooftop gardens also provide new habitats for birds and insects. The plants provide an important source of food, nesting material, and shelter in urban environments.
              Though rooftop gardens may not be practical additions for some homeowners, there are many other things that can be done to reduce stormwater runoff due to large spaces of concrete and increase habitats for birds and insects. Containerized plantings and raised garden beds, like the ones featured in Olbrich’s Spring Show, are easy and attractive ways to spruce up a driveway or patio while helping the environment.
               Selected flowers from the show will be for sale Tuesday, March 25 from 10 a.m. while supplies last. Proceeds benefit Olbrich Botanical Gardens.