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  Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com October 15, 2009 at 9:28pm

  Michael - thanks for the link! I am MAD keen on green roofs, but I've never had the time to study them sufficiently. I see them in architectural media and it inspires me...on many garden designs I've passed up the opportunity to convert the garage roof into a green roof - but I suppose that is the crux of it...I have no idea what is involved and haven't been afforded the time or resource to investigate mid-design process!
  
  I plan to look at the ins and outs this winter...If Chicago and Boston can be green roof cities, no reason why Glasgow can't be!!
  
  Cheers, Nicky
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  Sustainable Land Management October 15, 2009 at 9:33pm

  It is a shame as in many places 'green roofs' have died a death a little - the reason is simple many of the recommended species do not cope with varying climates and as such the standardised green roofs have not been very succesfull. As you comment on above there is a real need for maintenance, (I remember listening to a salesman about green roofs trying to sell to a large hotel, his comments 'absolutely no maintenance ever' were nonsense with regards the selected species in the locality the hotel was in).
  
  This is a skill and it is great to see a training programme on the subject as it should be considered more widely.
  
  My comments are really based as a critique on 'sustainable' practises being hyped in the commercial sense by those wishing to jump on the 'green' bandwagon in the years proceeding the economic downturn . What is really good is that the current downturn has seen much of these people and companies disappear leaving in its place people who can actually deliver on such projects and ultimately see it through to a commercial success.
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  Michael Thompson October 15, 2009 at 9:37pm

  Too right Nicky, you show them how you roll in Glasgow!
  
  If you go to my website http://rammedearth.webs.com you can click on the "DIY Green Roof Guide" button on the navigation bar and you will be directed to the DIY guide I used to do our roof. It cost a tenner or so but well worth it!
  
  Nicky Patterson said:

  Michael - thanks for the link! I am MAD keen on green roofs, but I've never had the time to study them sufficiently. I see them in architectural media and it inspires me...on many garden designs I've passed up the opportunity to convert the garage roof into a green roof - but I suppose that is the crux of it...I have no idea what is involved and haven't been afforded the time or resource to investigate mid-design process!
  
  I plan to look at the ins and outs this winter...If Chicago and Boston can be green roof cities, no reason why Glasgow can't be!!
  
  Cheers, Nicky
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  Graeme @ BGS October 15, 2009 at 9:41pm

  I never got to Glee but Q-Lawn were showcasing their enviromat sedum matting. See link http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/product-sourcing-...
  
  A few years back my garage roof naturally went green, it required no maintenance other than an annual blow of the leaves but unfortunately the roofing felt and boards were shot and it had to be replaced. Next time I think I will seriously consider one and take the necessary steps to protect the boards!
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  Michael Thompson October 15, 2009 at 9:45pm

  It wasn't easy, Bridget has spent many hours tending to it, some bits died others flourished, local weather conditions etc make each roof individual. Having said that Sedums and Wildflowers seem fairly bulletproof!
  
  I plan to lay a leaky pipe for irrigation next Spring as it did get quite dry up there this Summer.
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  Andrew Garner October 15, 2009 at 10:11pm

  Sedum and some of the wildflower roofs just dont grow here and in wales also as CL have said. There is are polypody green roof in Helford and a osteospernum / erigeron roof in penwith, (think that was done by Cl team?). The penwith roof is really colourful. Great links though, thanks
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  Michael Thompson October 15, 2009 at 10:24pm

  I guess it's horses for courses when it come down to the differences regarding local conditions, I know a bloke who has a wildflower nursery very close to me and he supplies main contractors with the plugs for mega green roof projects.
  
  He told me that all he does is... Visit the building site a year or so before the roof is going to be planted out, collects as much naturally growing wild plants and stuff (Here I go, talking technical again) takes it all back to his place here in Norfolk, splits and divides, gets the seeds off them and creates thousands of plugs ready for the planting out. Basically, if it grows naturally at the location, it should take on the green roof.
  
  He makes an absolute packet out of these big projects, it aint rocket science though!!!
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  Andrew Garner October 15, 2009 at 10:33pm

  best way to do it. let the local conditions let you know. I have read a piece about a project in ireland where they just left the medium on the roof and allowed whatever weeds to develop and it worked a treat. But i think there could be a few jokes in there. Seriously though the UK varies so much that the bloke you know did precisely what was needed. one thing when listening to gardeners questions or before it became just too bizarre to watch, gardeners world is that the advice was often wholesale for the country, this just isn't true. Hats off to Mr Beardshaw who seems to be the only panel member to regularly mention location. A green roof (and other projects with plants) atlas to the uk would be a godsend.
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  Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com October 15, 2009 at 10:40pm

  Most flat roofs up here have a cultivation of fag butts, beer cans and dead footballs...I'm gonna try and buck the trend using your guy's advice!!
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  Michael Thompson October 15, 2009 at 10:43pm

  We find that we get far fewer "naturally" growing weeds up on the roof compared with "naturally" growing weeds at ground level, maybe it's because the airborne seeds from weeds are actually lower down. Our roof is just under 3 metres high and was started off with subsoil as a growing medium and was planted out with plugs and seeds we had chosen.
  
  We do get weeds though, probably from bird droppings rather than the wind.