Roofs & Rambles

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Just got an email through a week or so ago from Ed Snodgrass. When I was in DC earlier in the year, he interviewed me for a forthcoming book on designing green roofs. We were discussing habitat and how from a nature conservation point of view need to create a range of micro-habits for bugs, bees and other ‘critters’. These ideas have been promulgated by Dr. Stephan Brenneisen in Switzerland and myself in the UK, whether you call them green roofs, brown roofs or living roofs – it is all about diversity. You can read about beetles, spiders and bees on green and brown roofs at the livingroofs website.

Taking these ideas to heart Ed has recently created a small green roof at his nursery Emory Knolls Farm Howard County, Maryland. He used the DIY guide principles that John Little of the Grassroofcompany and I have written in our e-guide to build the roof.

Although a pretty small green roof Ed, Julie and Carrie have managed to create three distinct habitat types within the green roof. As Ed points out in his email:

‘There are three zones, a xeric zone 90 aggregate 10% compost, an upland zone 80% aggregate 20% compost and a low land zone with mounded media 70% aggregate and 30% compost. I used your principle of providing structure with both plants and hardscape. Plants were chosen for an extended bloom season and larval food value as well as nectar food value. We found the little tree frog on the first day, you may remember their song from when you were here. One unique feature is the disconnected downspout from the barn roof going through the hollow log. My hope is to provide a dark wet area for dark wet loving critters although after a hard thunderstorm two nights ago no water left the green roof to come down the downspout.’

This is the first roof I know where a frog has been found. Yet another species to add to the list. And I just love the log down pipe!

As yet I am not sure what plants have been planted but both John and I should get to find out when visit in October on our way to the CITIESALIVE conference in Toronto. I also hope to visit the green roof Ed and I helped to build on the Mall in DC. This has found a new and permanent home at the Enchanted Forest in Baltimore. But that’ll be another blog!