Living Roofs: Taking Landscaping Up, Literally

Space is a commodity. Many places are building up, and apparently taking their landscaping with them.

A fairly new industry, rooftop landscapes are taking the world by storm. The benefits of growing on your roof include:

• managing rainwater
  
• keep buildings cooler
  
• create a new habitat
  
• absorbs metals and purifies rainwater before it joins with waterways
  

 There are many things to consider before just throwing some plants up on your roof. The structure of your dwelling has to be assessed to make sure it can hold the weight of a green roof. (You also need to be sure that rooftop gardening is approved for your living space — need to check with your HOA? Do this first!)

Proper waterproofing measures need to be taken to ensure that no leaks occur. This is the most important aspect of a green roof. Roofs are designed to dispose of water quickly not holding water, as happens with a living roof. Even with this step properly done, plant roots have a way of making their own paths, which could ultimately cause leaking anyways.

What is the end use of your rooftop landscape? Are you looking for a garden or an outdoor lounge area? Or perhaps you just want to lower your heating and/or cooling costs.

This is an exciting new trend in landscaping. Maybe Hawaii will be next to implement it into our dwellings?