Growing plants on buildings – now that’s innovative! Below, we dive into cool garden styles like green walls that can lower a buildings carbon footprint and boost it’s eco-friendliness.
What are green roofs, green walls and food walls?
Green roofs and green walls either fully, or partially, cover a roof or wall with vegetation. Unlike container gardens, green roofs make use of a growing medium, like soil or a mat that is then put on the roof or attached to a wall.
Edible walls follow the same principle using vegetable and fruit plants, as well as edible flowers, to create a vertical edible garden.
Roof and wall gardens run the range from very simple, easy to maintain gardens, to creations that are exquisitely designed.
For a green roof, you can make a paradise with elegant walkways; for green or food walls, you can take a variety of plants and create intricate designs with colourful plants and flowers, or shades and hues of greens.
As your landscape professionals at LPCGC can attest, the possibilities are endless for unique and interesting green roof and wall designs.
Where can they go?
With green roofs can be constructed on any sloped or flat roof and on any type of building from your garage, poolhouse, children’s playhouse, or your home.
Green and edible walls are equally versatile. Create a green wall on the side of an existing building or retaining wall, or make yours free standing.
Green and edible walls must be constructed to brave the elements. If you want yours over two and one half meters (or eight feet) high, it requires sturdier construction to stand up to high winds.
Why build one?
Green roofs and walls are getting popular. They can be found atop everything from upscale restaurants to museums to boutique hotels – and in backyards all throughout the city.
But they are trendy for good reason. Green roofs and walls will help to:
- Lower your energy bills. A green roof can reduce the building’s cooling requirement in summer and heat loss in winter by up to 26%.
A green wall can moderate building temperatures and also;
- Provides clean water: A green roof can reduce water runoff during a rainstorm by as much as 75%.
- Protects your roof and building: Both green roofs and walls help to protect your building from the elements, and extend the life of both.
- Helps with LEED credits: Properly constructed a wall can score you two LEED credits.
- Provides a noise buffer: Whether on an exterior wall to your home, your fence, or your roof, a green roof or wall will reduce noise pollution from traffic considerably.
- Improves the health of all those around your home: They take out carbon dioxide and put oxygen back. You can breathe easier, and feel better just looking at them.
- Increases your property value: Need we say more?
Let us help you with your green roof or wall
A properly installed green roof or green wall can really make your home unique among its neighbours. And we can help make it happen for you.
Contact us to discuss your options for a green roof or wall.