From Miami Beach to the Bahamas, Raymond Jungles can transform a blasé rooftop deck into an exotic tropical garden. The landscape architect brings outdoor living spaces to life not only with innovation and creativity, but also with a green thumb, as well.

A few years ago in Coconut Grove, Florida, Jungles was faced with a difficult challenge: creating a rooftop garden that blended in with the style of the 1930s Spanish Colonial interior of his client’s home. The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Rooftop Garden was initially one of Jungles’ greatest challenges, but it soon became one of his greatest triumphs.

“This project was in a very refined space on the top of a 39-story building,” Jungles explains. “It was brutal because I had to create human elements in an elegant space that blended in with the Spanish architectural style.” Jungles was able to create elements in the outdoor space that made the owners feel as if they were at ground level. What was once a distilled and basic living space became a tropical garden with exotic and tranquil surroundings.

“One key component to keep in mind with any rooftop garden is shade,” says Jungles. “I had to create an overhead structure because the sun is blaring up there. I used alpine-type plants with lowwater requirement and also designed and engineered awnings with a wind sensor that open and close depending how strong the wind is.”

The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Rooftop Garden includes spacious walkways, a small area to accommodate patio seating, luscious foliage with sun-protective vines, three exquisite waterfalls, and an elegant pool that trickles over a front wall to add ambiance to the sitting area. 305-858- 6777, raymondjungles.com.

- By Terri Ogan