Green Roof  − 16 April, 2008

What a neat idea! I was just checking out the stories on MSNBC and I saw a neat little link to a story on Green Roofing Technology. As roof issues are something near and dear to my heart (ours was destroyed in Hurricane Wilma and recently replaced), I read on.
Of course, I have always been attracted to the idea of vegetation on your roof – always loved that touch on all the Carrabba’s Restaurant roofs, seeing it on old-fashioned thatched-hut type cottages, and seen it used in some amazing homes featured on HGTV – “ground-breaking” “green’ houses built underground or into the side of a hill – with a roof that looks like a field. It is said to cut down on heating and cooling costs through insulation and helps control storm water run-off. Apparently it has become all the rage in Europe – in some countries any buildings with a flat roof have to be “green” – and they have seen a drop-off in “urban island” high temperatures, though to be caused by solar reflection on too much concrete and steel.
The “green” roof is basically a big, shallow planter growing grasses mostly, though some get really fancy and even have roses and such. Many are intentionally accessible to provide soothing green space to city-weary inhabitants, and some even provide habitat for endangered species.
What an awesome idea. I have a flat roof – maybe I should look into a green roof, too? Here in south Florida, it would certainly help with cooling costs and with water run-off during the rainy season, not to mention cleaning the air. I mean, we already have algae and some plants that find a crack in the asphalt tiles to take root, as well as numerous pigeons. It’s already a green roof of sorts.
I want to know what they do about keeping the plants in check. I mean down here things tend to overgrow QUICKLY. It seems I am trimming back my plants on a weekly basis, and even then it is like trying to tame a lush jungle. Would the roof need to be mowed? With birds eating seeds and dropping them off wherever, I would be guaranteed to have plants other than the ones I wanted up on the roof – weeds, definitely.
And what sort of weight would the roof have to bear? Right now, my roof just has the weight of rain on it – how much more weight could it take? Could it handle the weight of the soil, plants and moisture? It wouldn’t do to have my garden collapsing in on my bedrooms.
I think having green roofs – especially in urban areas – will not only address practical needs like insulation, water run-off, oxygen production and mitigating heat from solar reflection, but also address the basic human need to be surrounded by soothing green growing things. A pastoral landscape is soothing to the eye – it’s relaxing to watch plants sway in the breeze, with butterflies and hummingbirds darting amongst the flowers, not to mention the added bonus of being able to grow edibles up there, too.
Right now, my hubbie has a little garden set up on our patio – tomato plants, cucumbers, peppers and a few other things – herbs, I think. He would LOVE to have all that extra space to grow stuff. AND I could finally get that bee hive I have been wanting – I hear urban beekeeping has taken off, too. It would really maximize our “space” – we could even make it into a nice little garden. Right now our patio is too cramped to do much with… I would love to make it a little less cluttered and a little more “zen.” A hammock to swing in… ahhhh…

Comments:

peahayes (April 19, 2008. 04:21am)

It's very very cool idea. And I LOVE the image of someone mowing her roof!