Rooftop aerie in Denver - Guide - Denver, Colorado

Sunset, April, 2003 by Colleen Smith

Architectural designer Mickey Ackerman resides in a historic two-story; redbrick structure within earshot of Coors Field in downtown Denver. Ackerman loves to garden, but he had no ground. "I didn't have a front yard, I didn't have a backyard, so I went up," he says. Ackerman found 1,100 square feet of rooftop space he could use for gardening, displaying art, and entertaining.

He grows everything from flowers to trees in 55 plastic containers and a dozen hanging baskets. The pots are filled with lightweight potting soil amended with well-rotted manure and wood chips, which help retain moisture. After six seasons, Ackerman's 22 trees--including dwarf varieties of apple, pear, and plum--stand tall enough to cast a bit of shade onto the cedar decking he installed over the roof's asphalt surface. Tennis nets stretched between wood frames provide privacy, screening the view from neighboring buildings.

Around the garden, Ackerman displays small-scale cast-resin replicas of arches from ancient churches, as well as a modern mask sculpture made of metal.

Each weekend, Ackerman hosts a barbecue in the garden. Various groupings of tables, chairs, and benches accommodate anywhere from a handful to a hundred friends. The rooftop is even more dramatic at night, when spotlights shine on the fruit trees and columnar junipers sparkle with tiny white lights. And on evenings when the Colorado Rockies are playing ball across the street, Ackerman and his guests can hear the fans roar when the home team scores.