Roof Gardens

Roof Garden Systems

The use of garden roof systems is still relatively new in the United States. However, as energy costs rise and environmental awareness increases, the idea of vegetative roofing is poised to become much more commonplace. In fact, a number of major cities and large property owners are already looking at these ecological roofing solutions. According to Brad Rowe, a Michigan State University horticulture professor and chairperson of the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) Research Committee, the garden roofing industry is growing rapidly.

Few people in the roofing industry doubt that we are in the beginning stages of enormous change. This is being brought about by the green roofing movement and the realization that buildings play a vital role in conserving energy and protecting the environment

– Mark Gaulin
Former President of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)

Roof Garden Motivations

Recreational reasons, such as leisure and relaxation, beautifying the environment, and greenery and nature are the most popular reasons for roof gardens. Planting roof gardens on tops of building is a great way to make city more efficient.

It was calculated that the temperature in Tokyo could be lowered by 0.2– 1.44 °F if 50% of all available rooftop space were planted with greenery. This would lead to a savings of approximately $837,000.

Colorado Roof Gardens

Roof gardens are more difficult in Colorado, because of the high altitude arid conditions. The Denver Botanical Gardens has the first publicly accessible roof garden, and lists information about the plants and water habits of the garden.