Helping the environment with green roofs

Climate change is a reality. Many individuals have become concerned about this global trend and are looking to find ways to contribute in combating this environmental challenge. One key way many private home and commercial building owners and dwellers can contribute to fighting climate change is by setting up green roofs.

A green roof is a space on your rooftop that you cover with plants-either completely or partially. There is a wide variety of options of green roofs. Some green roofs look like elevated well-tended mini-botanical parks. Others tend to be more humble-these consist of plant baskets and container-based plants. The varieties are endless and are limited only by the green roof gardener's resources and imagination. Even with limited funds, one can still come up with a self-sustaining green roof that not only adds color to its surroundings, freshly-grown food on the gardener's plate, and helps cool the earth.

How do you start a green roof?

You can line your roof with plastic and use containers to plant your roof-top garden. You can also hang baskets. For a more extensive system, you can use multi-panel layers on your roof with its own drainage and filtering system. There are even green roofs run by hotels that grow produce and herbs for the hotels' restaurants. Focus on how much manpower, time, and resources you have when deciding on how extensive and intensive your green roof should be.