Photo Example of Why Green Roofs Support Biodiversity

Arugula is one of my favorite Green Roof vegetables.  The plants are going to seeds here now, blooming and all the honey bees within miles are coming to feast on the nectar.
The rooftop permaculture garden is swarming with life.

Without the green roof there would be only asphalt shingles.  No bees.  No flowers and no delicious arugula for salads and sandwiches. No pollination and only GMO seeds.

Providing habitat and supporting Biodiversity in the Urban Core.

Green roofs supporting Biodiversity.

Green Roof Arugula Supporting Biodiversity

Friday Morning Green Roof Notes

Headed out to discuss educational opportunities with an individual for a rooftop permaculture garden we are doing this spring.

Before heading out the door I wanted to post a couple green roof genre photos.

Photo One is a Morning Dove, taken this AM looking for insects in the nodding garlic, Allium canadense starts (native species here in the US).  Biodiversity with green roof plants begins well before they are placed on the roof!

Green Roof Plants & Biodiversity

Photo two is a couple trays of Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato seeds Judy planted last night while I was cutting copper for the living wall.  Matt's Wild Cherry Tomatoes are my favorite tomato in the entire world!  Here is what Johnny's Seeds has to say about Matt's -

The wild tomato with luscious taste.

These small cherry tomatoes are packed with more taste than you can believe. 5/8- 3/4", deep red, round fruits have a tender, smooth texture, and loads of sweet, full flavor. High sugar content (11º Brix). Though the taste is superior, it doesn't yield well and the fruits are soft, so grow on a trial scale at first. Teresa Arellanos de Mena, a friend of former Univ. of Maine AG faculty members Drs. Laura Merrick and Matt Liebman, brought seeds to Maine from her family's home state of Hidalgo in Eastern Mexico. It's the region of domestication of tomatoes, and where these grow wild. Matt gave us the seeds. Indeterminate. 

Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato will grow well on the rooftop garden, in fact it will produce more tomatoes you will ever be able to use.  This plant should be number one on the rooftop garden/green roof permaculture list.  Now is the time to start tomatoes - just keep them indoors until well after the danger of frost.

Matt's Wild Cherry Tomatoes for Rooftop Permaculture

Photo Three is a shot of Black-eyed Peas sprouted and ready for transplanting up.  Like clover, this plant fixes nitrogen into the soil.  Good to eat and good for ferilizer.

Black Eyed Peas - Green Roof Fertilizer Plant

Good green roof permaculture plants - Black eyed peas and Matt's Wild Cherry Tomatoes!

As always, email us your comments and thoughts and Happy Green Roofing!

Kevin

 

Green Roofs Promote Biodiversity in Urban Core

Plants in the Urban Core are important for many reasons and we've discussed many here in on this website.

Biodiversity is another critical factor Green Roofs can contribute to.

By installing green roofs and living walls and then planting pollinators and beneficial plants - especially native species - you are helping increase the spread of DNA through pollen.

In a world of exotic invasives, noxious concrete and asphalt, heat-island effect, smog, polluted stormwater and the stress of the Urban Core, plant some life giving plants on your walls and roofs.  Remember, plants remove Carbon Dioxide and pump out oxygen into the air.

MetroVerde's line of roof  pre-accliminated native and adapted (non-invasive) plants species are grown organically and without chemicals - either pesticides or fertilizers so as to promote strong growth on green roofs.


Choosing plants grown for green roofs in your area is as important as choosing the right green roof system.

MV's line of Carbon Piratetm plant species are also grown to sequester as much Carbon Dioxide as possible as well as uptaking nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater.

As always - email us and we will be glad to help you with your Green Roof Project.

Kevin...