Green Roofs Australia reports that this rooftop garden cost around $35 per square metre to install. This is because the plants are hardy herbs and sedums, which don’t require watering (so no expensive roof irrigation).
A couple of months ago I put a green roof on the chook shed, which has a corrugated iron roof. I put down dam lining, and an old wadding doona for filtration. Most green roofs would require better filtration than this (carpet underlay is good), but since the water runoff from my chook shed goes straight into the garden, nutrient-rich runoff isn’t a problem.
Next, I put compost, and I (quite literally) threw a few sedums on top. The borders are old fence posts. I have photographed the start of my green chook roof, and I’ll
put up before and after pics in a few months, as well as pics of my (house) rooftop pumpkin crop.
I have a question………..I’d like to plant a sedum garden on our garage roof to insulate it, get rid of the glare and because it would be low-lying enough to allow the installation of solar panels at a later date BUT I don’t want to intefere with the water run-off as the garage roof supplies rainwater to the tank with which we water the veggie gardens…. and I want as much of that water as possible! Is there a solution to this?
Comment by faith — November 26, 2007 @ 5:32 pm |
Any excess run-off from a sedum blanket goes into your tank. There is various technology available for this — see, for example, http://greenroofs.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/grass-tiles-ideal-for-pitched-roofs/
Comment by Girl on The Avenue — November 27, 2007 @ 11:18 am |
OK since I can’t start a new topic, I thought I’d post this here – Yes it’s *vaguely* on topic.
It’s a link to a petition to allow victorians who grow produce diffferent restrictions to those who don’t.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/allow-water-for-produce-gardens-in-victoria.html
Go sign it, although I’ve never really believed that petitions do that much.
Now, ON topic, our garden has been establishing itself for 2 1/2 years now, from the concrete and grass wasteland it once was to become a LUSH native and vegetable garden. The temperature drop in my backyard has been astounding, and you can even feel it when you walk past the front of the house. And we have only watered the front yard twice since last summer, once during the allocated 2 hours on a sunday morning, and once when a water main burst out the front and was puring water down the drain. Yes folks, if you can cool your microcosm so easily, then surely if we all did something we can cool the macro too!
Comment by Marty — December 3, 2007 @ 5:10 pm |
Your front garden is so beautiful, Marty. I stop to admire it every time I walk past.
Yes, my concrete back yard is cooled, too. I might do a post on it.
Comment by Girl on The Avenue — December 3, 2007 @ 9:46 pm |
There’s a lengthy story in today’s Age about water restrictions and the environmental benefits of home-grown vegetables and fruit.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/where-to-water/2007/12/04/1196530674731.html
Comment by Bane of Malakas — December 5, 2007 @ 4:08 pm |
did you read it, even Coburg got a mention. I loved it. yet if introduced the government will more than likely find a way to tax you on growing your own vegies
Comment by Max Franc — December 5, 2007 @ 8:40 pm |
I’m moving to a flat which has a large terrace. Any advice about creating a green roof much appreciated, esp. engineering details. How do you know if it’s strong enough?
Comment by Debbie — March 25, 2008 @ 10:04 pm |