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Three Roof Garden Variations
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Aesthetically pleasing, roof gardens are functional as well. In addition to growing food, roof gardens can also provide temperature control, hydrological benefits and architectural enhancements. It can also serve as a habitat for wildlife. A roof garden offers many advantages. On a hot day, for instance, the garden can cool the room beneath it. During winter, it provides insulation against the cold. In Germany occupants are required to install roof gardens to retain water from evaporating. It will prevent flash floods from occurring. Three basic types of roof gardens exist. The primary differences are related to the depth of the soil, the type of plants the roof will support, and the required maintenance.
Extensive Roof Garden
This is the easiest type of roof garden to maintain because it uses shallow soil. Because they are lightweight, extensive roof gardens work wonderfully on top of garages, sheds and other small home extensions. Although it’s easy to maintain this type of roof garden, it has the least aesthetic value, and the number of plants that can grow on it is quite limited. Lichens and mosses are prime examples of plants that thrive in an extensive roof garden. Glass, metal and plastic are ideal surfaces for symbiotic organisms like lichens to colonize on. Small green plants, mosses require few nutrients to survive. Instead, these plants that clint to stones and walls can live off rainwater alone.
Semi-Extensive Roof Garden
This type of roof garden, which has deeper soil, is able to support more plant varieties. As such, you can decorate these more easily than you can extensive roof gardens. Because the semi-extensive roof garden has more (and heavier) soil, it requires a stronger supporting structure. Succulents that store water in their tissue, sedums are a good choice for this type of garden. That means you won’t need to go out and water them every day – but during times of drought, they could die and turn patchy if not properly cared for. Wildflowers that don’t need any maintenance are also ideal for semi-extensive roof gardens.
Intensive Roof Garden
Strong, large structures are required to support this type of roof garden, which can feature trees and elaborate arrangements. Concrete buildings and on top of roof decks are the most common places for intensive roof gardens to be installed since most single-home dwellings prove unsuitable for such projects. Assuming the building’s structure is capable of supporting the weight, the intensive roof garden has no limitations regarding what you can plant in it.
About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how to live more environmentally friendly lives. Learn more about green living at her blog on Sustainable and Green Building.
This article was originally posted at Three Types of Roof Gardens.
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