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Here are some roof top garden suggestions.  Hope they work out for you.  ep

RECOMMENDED BOOKS (borrow from McLean Library PHS)

Yang, Linda, The City and Town Gardener

Yang, Linda, The City Gardener's Handbook

Kramer, Jack, Your City Garden

Colby, Deirdre, City Gardening

Pool, Mary Jane, Gardens in the City: New York in Bloom

GRASSES

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’  (blue switch grass)

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Cassian’  (fountain grass)

SHRUBS

Abelia x grandiflora (glossy abelia)

Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese quince)

Cotoneaster (cotoneaster)

Euonymus (euonymus)

Forsythia (forsythia)

Ilex (holly)

Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ (Japanese garden juniper)

Ligustrum (privet)

Philadelphus (mock orange)

Pieris japonica (Japanese pieris, andromeda)

Pyracantha coccinea 'Lalandei' (scarlet firethorn)

Rosa Miniatures ‘Starina’ 1’ x 1’ orange-red, ‘Centerpiece’ deep red, ‘Old Glory’ deep red with yellow at base of petal. Polyantha shrub rose 'The Fairy' small pink flowers most of summer, compact, remarkably winter hardy. Floribunda 'Europeana’ dark red large flowers. Hybrid Teas short sturdy varieties, 3-4’ or less, ‘Double Delight’ red and white;  ’Fragrant Cloud’ coral-red

Salix discolor (pussy willow)

Skimmia japonica (Japanese skimmia)

ANNUALS or most successfully grown as annual.

Vinca minor (periwinkle)

Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) spreads rapidly, use in containers only

Senecio cineraria (dusty Miller) lovely grey-tinged foliage, use for edging or borders

Tanacetum (syn. Chrysanthemum) parthenium (feverfew) especially 'Aureum' (golden feather)

Ageratum houstonianum (floss flower)

Lobelia erinus (edging or trailing lobelia)

Melampodium paludosum (butter daisy)

Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)

Scabiosa caucasica (pincushion flower)

Achillea (yarrow)

Solidago hybrids (goldenrod)

Also watch for what you see in hot, dry, roadside plantings -- these may do well on a hot, dry, windy roof.