Why put a green roof on your garden shed?

Wet, wet, wet, that’s the only way to describe the tail end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014.  Some parts of Britain have seen awful floods and the forecast is for still more rain and maybe some snow later this month.

Still, at least it means we won’t be subjected to hosepipe bans this summer.

While it’s too wet to be working in the garden, sensible gardeners are making plans for spring.  Seed catalogues are being perused, measurements are being taken and prices are being gathered for features such as patios, wild flower meadows and fencing. 

If you are one of the planners, why not include a green roofing project for 2014?

A living green roof is both pretty and practical.  It has many benefits for you, your garden, the wildlife in your garden and indeed for the environment as a whole.  Here are just five reasons to put a green roof on your garden shed in 2014.

1.Provide food for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects

2013 was a great year for pollinating insects.  The long hot summer saw an increase in the number of butterflies we saw in our gardens and although the late spring wasn’t great for honeybees, bumble bees and solitary bees, they soon caught up with themselves when the sun came out.

This year, many of our top garden designers are predicting that wildlife gardening and planting for pollinators will be high on the list of priorities for householders.  Great news for biodiversity!

Not every garden has room for a patch of wild flowers, a buddleia bush or a nectar laden fruit tree but nearly every garden has at least one shed/summerhouse/garden office/den.  A garden building with a carefully designed green roof can be just as valuable to pollinating insects as any herbaceous border.

Having flowers in bloom over a long period of time and in a relatively undisturbed location is just what butterflies, bees and hoverflies need to ensure the survival of their species.   If this nectar plot is fairly self-sustaining – which it needs to be if it’s on a roof – then the householder cum gardener will have very little work in maintaining the area and all the pleasure of having a beautiful and wildlife-friendly garden feature.

It’s a win-win situation for people and insects.

 2. Insulate your building so that you can use it more often

If your summerhouse is anything like my summerhouse, You can’t use it during the winter months (too cold) or during the summer months (too hot).  I would imagine that similar levels of comfort also apply to a guinea pig hutch or a chicken coop in extreme temperatures, so this blogpost is relevant to animal housing as well as recreational spaces for people.

A living green roof is one of the oldest and most effective ways of insulating a building so that it stays warmer for longer in winter and cooler for longer in the summer.  The Vikings used green roofing on their dwellings and for good reason.  They had no central heating and relied on wood fire and good insulation for their comfort and survival.

In Nottingham Trent University, experiments compared the temperature beneath the membrane of standard roofs and living roofs throughout the year.  They concluded that a green roof averaged 1.3 degrees cooler than the air and a whopping 15 degrees cooler than a standard roof in the summer time.  In winter, the green roof was 4.5 degrees warmer than the standard roof and 4.7 degrees warmer that the air.

That’s pretty impressive, and when you consider that every 0.5 degree C can reduce electricity use for air conditioning by 8% - we’re talking some healthy savings on fuel bills too.

3. Make the neighbours jealous with a stunningly beautiful building

Image is everything.  We all of us garden for different reasons; as therapy, to grow food, to help local wildlife or because no one else in the house wants to do it. Nevertheless, whatever the reason, whatever our personal taste and whatever the main function of the garden, most of us want it to be admired.  A living green roof on a shed, garage or even a bin store, is guaranteed to  generate plenty of oooohs and ahhhhhs.

A green roof is also rather good at softening the lines of a garden building and help it to blend in to the landscape.

I recall the case of a lady from Fakenham in Norfolk who is lucky enough to have a beautiful garden overlooking meadows.  The lady, let's call her Sarah for I don't recall her name, is a keen and talented textile artist who, feeling the need to have a creative space separate from the home, built a light and airy summerhouse at the end of the garden where her sewing machine, fabric stash, threads and paraphernalia could live in peace.

But oh dear, her neighbours were not amused. They considered that the building spoilt their view. They were accustomed to looking out of their upstairs windows across green gardens, fields, meadows and hedgerows.  All of a sudden, BOOOM the view was interrupted by a white painted building with an asphalt roof. Not great. Until of course, Sarah had the sense to "hide" the building beneath a green roof. Now, viewed from above, the building is far easier on the eye and as far as I know, harmony has been restored.

 4. Preserve your waterproofing and help the shed last longer

While researching this article I read that In Noth West Europe alone, 500,000 tonnes of bitumous materials - mainly roofing felt - end up in landfill or incinerators every year. That's about 25,000 article loads. Scary!

The two main culprits for the failure of roofing felt are UV light and fluctuating temperatures. A green roof protects against both of these phenomena as well as that old favourite ... Mechanical damage from hobnail boots wandering about on a roof while the wearer inspects or maintains the roof or accesses roof lights, adjoining buildings, air conditioning units, Christmas lights etc.

Here's a graph showing how the temperature of waterproofing membrane changes throughout the dayon a green roof.  You can see how the green roof build up helps smooth out those peaks and troughs thus reducing the stress on the fabric of the waterproofing.

this graph is from Miami Science museum and shows how the roof membrane is protected from daily peaks and troughs in the temperature.

A green roof will double, maybe even treble the life of the waterproofing on a shed.  Not only will that save you from the cost of replacing the roofing felt......it will considerably reduce the amount of building materials that go into landfill.

5.Help prevent flooding

Flooding is not a new phenomenon in this country as you can see from this
old postcard  but it certainly feels as though 'its happening more often

I live on top of a hill within half a mile of the Norfolk fens - which, thanks to an 18th century Dutchman and the modern day Environment Agency, are very well drained. I read news stories of flooded homes and businesses, animals lost, cars swept away by flash floods and I count my blessings for my home is unlikely to be affected in this way.

As a society we always seem to blame "them" for the country's inability to cope with rain, snow, drought or anything vaguely water-related.  I have no idea who "they" or "them" might be.....maybe government agencies, local authorities, planners, or the emergency services, I don't know. But maybe it's time to stop relying on nameless, faceless officials and for each of us to do a little something towards communal water management.

The practice of paving over front gardens to make car parking space (or easy care gardens) should take some of the blame for inefficient water management.  Rainwater can't soak in to concrete and so it makes it's way into the nearest drain. The drains become overwhelmed for they were built when gardens were soil based and there were far fewer building, roads, car parks and pavements in the country. When the drains are full and the ground is impermeable there is nowhere for the water to go, so it stays on the surface.  Simple.

But what if our roofs were absorbent? Surely this would offset some of the difficulties caused by impermeable ground. Well, green roofs are absorbent. A living green roof can soak up somewhere in the region of 80% of the rainwater that falls on it and once the roof is saturated, excess rainwater will drip or trickle onto the ground or into the gutter. Compare that to having gallons of water gushing off rooftops during a storm and it's not hard to imagine how much easier it is for drainage systems to cope with green roof runoff than with standard roof runoff.

 green roofs and grass lawns allow rainwater to drain away as nature intended

Another benefit of green roofing is that pollutants are filtered out of the runoff before they reach water courses.  All good stuff.

More green roofs = more benefits

Putting a green roof on just one shed won't prevent flooding in this country.  Just as recycling newspapers from just one household won't stop global warming and using washable nappies for one baby won't relieve landfill from a deluge of disposables.  But if almost everyone did it, what a difference it would make.

 Intrigued?

Click here to see some more photographs of green roof sheds

Find out how to create a green roof on your shed

Calculate the cost of installing a sedum green roof

Email Angela with any questions you may have

Put some plants on the roof on your bird table to attract butterflies and turn the neighbours green with envy

A living roof can turn a plain old bird feeder into something truly remarkable. A layer of sedum plants atop the bird table is ever so pretty, creates a real talking point and will also attract butterflies and bees when it’s in flower.

This is a brilliant way to use up any offcuts left over from making a green roof on your shed.

What do I need?

1. A sturdy bird table with a  “roof” on it
2. A length of timber around 5 cm deep
3. Protective wood stain
4. 1 square metre of heavy duty polyethene
5. 1 square metre of Drainage matting (only needed for flat roofs)
6. 1  square metre of Water retention mat
7. 1 square metre of Enviromat sedum matting
8. Green roof feed
9. Measuring tape
10. Sharp knife and heavy duty scissors
11. Watering can
12. An hour or so of your time

Use the timber to create an edging all the way around the roof – this will stop the wind lifting and shifting the sedum matting.  You will end up with a tray on top of the roof which needs to be around 5cm deep.

Drill holes in the edging approximately 1 cm from the bottom – to allow excess water to drain away. 

Treat the timber with a protective wood stain.

Measure the roof and cut the polyethene, the drainage mat (if needed), the water retention mat and the Enviromat to the right size.

Always cut components before putting them on the roof – you don’t want to be slicing through the waterproofing!

Add the green roof build up to the top of the bird table in the following order

1. Polyethene – to protect the bird table against root damage
2. Drainage mat – you only need this on a flat roof. 
3. Water retention mat – to help the plants cope with a drought
4. Enviromat sedum matting

Water thoroughly to settle the plants in

Put in a nice sunny spot, load it up with bird food and watch the birdies enjoy their new café

This project could also be adapted to suit a rabbit hutch, dog kennel or even a bee hive.

This project could also be adapted to suit a rabbit hutch, dog kennel or even a bee hive.

Download our free guide to creating a living green roof

Which is best? White roofs, green roofs, brown roofs or black roofs?

An article in the San Francisco Business Times in January 2014 described some research that suggests that white roofs are superior to green roofs when it comes to saving money.

The research was carried out at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Results showed that a simple white roof reflects 3 times as much sunlight as a green roof. By absorbing less energy from the sun, the roof stays cooler than a standard black roof and therefore doesn't heat the building up.  The cost of creating a white roof is less than the cost of creating a green roof and therefore, according to the researchers, a white roof offers better value for money.

In this blog post we compare and contrast different types of eco-roof to help you decide which is the best option for you.

What are all these different types of roof?

A well maintained green roof  pictured in early summer

Just as there is more than one way to design your living room, there are a myriad of different types of roof.  Thatched, tiled, slated, shingled, asphalt, EPDM, fibre glass, vegetated.....the list goes on.

Broadly speaking, a flat roof will fall into one of four categories; green, white, black or brown.

What is a green roof?

A green roof is what we call a roof, deck or terrace that has an intentionally planted layer of vegetation on it.

The green roof build up sits on top of conventional waterproofing.  It consists of a drainage layer, growing medium and then a layer of plants.

Depending on how strong the building is, the depth of growing medium and the type of planting can vary considerably.

Benefits of a green roof include insulation against heat, cold and noise, rainwater management, creation of wildlife habitat and help improving air quality.

What is a white roof?

When a roof is treated with light reflecting material, it is known as a white roof.  It works on the principal that light colours, particularly white, are very poor at absorbing light energy from the sun.  Just as white clothes keep us cooler in summer time, white roofs help keep a building cool on hot days.

Research has shown that white roofs are cheaper to build than green roofs and are just as effective at reducing the need for air conditioning inside a building.

white roof: pic from www.daisygreenmagazine.co.uk

What is a black roof?

This is easy - a black roof is one with standard waterproofing but no reflective coating and no vegetated layer.  It has no particular advantages over any green, white or brown roofs apart from availability, cheapness and familiarity.

What is a brown roof?

A brown roof is similar to a green roof in many ways.  Certainly green and brown roofs have similar benefits.

Typically, building a brown roof involves using growing media and seeds that are sourced from the site – or very close by it.  The idea is to recreate local habitat on top of the building.

Compared to green roofs, brown roofs are typically around £10 to £12 per square meter cheaper to install. However, it is worth remembering that it takes around three years for a brown roof to establish itself. During this time, they require a considerable amount of maintenance compared to green roofs and so will cost more in this initial period. Once the brown roof has matured though, it becomes fairly self-sufficient and maintenance is kept to a minimum.

Brown roof: picture from www.urbanhabitats.org 

Which type of roof is the most Eco friendly?

Economically, white roofs have been proven to give the best return on investment over a 50 year period IN THE USA.  To my knowledge, there has been no equivalent research done in the UK where weather conditions tend to be very different.

However, as Nanny Brown used to tell me, money isn’t everything.

Table 1 compares at the eco-friendly features of different types of roof

Here we see that black roofs are a no-no in terms of eco-friendliness.  Their only redeeming quality is that if they are on a suitable building they can be retrofitted with a green or brown roof when budget allows.

White roofs, at least for the UK climate are a partial compromise and will probably save money on air conditioning but do not benefit air quality or biodiversity.

Brown roofs and green roofs are the most eco-friendly by far. 

Where can I learn more about designing and building a green roof?

Enviromat have created a downloadable document entitled “Designing for Maintenance”.

Designing for Maintenance discusses the factors involved in creating a living green roof.  The document explains how to minimise the cost and maximise the benefits of a green roof by choosing the right build up for the building and by implementing a suitable maintenance regime.

The document is free and can be downloaded from www.enviromat.co.uk/green-roof-design-guide

Or, contact Q Lawns on 01842 828266 for more information

Download Designing for Maintenance

How Enviromat created a green roof in London

Here is Kevin's photo journal showing how he used Enviromat sedum matting to create a living green roof for a customer in South West London.

1. Use polyethene to protect the waterproofing

This roof was fully waterproofed by the builder and Kev has been assured that the waterproof layer is in good order and that the roof drains well.

If , after heavy rainfall, this flat roof were to have puddles sitting on it for any length of time, the drainage would need to be fixed before the green roof buildup is added.

A note about edgings and upstands

This roof has an upstand - if there were no upstand, then Kev would need to install an edging before putting on the green roof buildup.

Read our blog about green roof edgings

Why use polyethene?

This layer of polyethene protects the waterproofing from mechanical damage (Kev's boots) but it's main purpose is to prevent plant roots from attacking the waterproof layer.  

The polyethene layer is ever so cheap and ever so valuable.  Take care not to block drainage outlets with it though.

2. A flat roof needs drainage matting

Drainage mat is a lightweight matting that does exactly what the name suggests.

It takes excess water away from the plants and channels it into the roof's own drainage system

If the roof pitch is greater than 3 degrees, you do not need drainage matting

Why use drainage mat?

Most of the plant species used on a green roof are best adapted to living in dry conditions.  Which means that they hate sitting in soggy soil.

Sedum plants will perish on a poorly drained roof.

How to use drainage mat

The picture above shows how Drainage Mat will be delivered to you.  

It weighs virtually nothing so is ever so easy to lift on to the roof.

Simply unroll it, right to the edges of the roof and trim it to size.

Kev's Tips for laying drainage mat

1. Use a serrated knife to cut the drainage mat.  A bread knife is ideal.
2. ALWAYS use cutting boards to avoid slicing through the waterproofing
3. Unfold the flaps along each side of the matting and lay the adjoining piece on top of the flap
4. Covering the joins with gaffa tape will stop the drainage mat blowing away while you're working

3. Water retention is essential for green roofs

We've talked about taking excess water away from a green roof.  Now we'll talk about keeping enough moisture on the roof to support the plants.

This particular fleece holds 9 liters of water per square metre when saturated. It helps to make sure that the plants have enough water - but not too much.  

Sedums like good drainage but they do need some water to survive.

This picture shows water retention matting just before Kev to installed it on to this green roof in London

It looks like a rolled up blanket

Kev will simply unroll the water retention fleece and use a stanley knife to cut it to the same size as the roof.

All of the drainage mat gets covered with water retention mat....right up to the edge of the upstand.

Kev always uses cutting boards so he doesn't damage the waterproofing with his knife.

4. The pebble border

As a rule of thumb,

• if a roof has an upstand, it will need a pebble border to help drainage.  

Kev has laid a 200mm border of pebbles all around the edge of the roof. - we normally recommend 300mm but this is a small roof.

Pebbles go on top of the water retention matting and the drainage mat

Never lay pebbles on top of Enviromat - it'll be a nightmare to weed!

The area between the roof light and the wall is quite narrow and probably shaded.

Kev covers it in pebbles

Narrow strips of Enviromat are best avoided because they dry out easily

Enviromat doesn't like growing in shade so Kev doesn't waste his time or  the customers' money by installing it where it won't survive.

5. How to lay Enviromat

Enviromat puts the green in green roofing.

This is the layer of plants and growing medium that provides the benefits of a green roof.  Beauty, insulation and wildlife habitat.

Enviromat is supplied in pieces 1 metre wide by 2 metres long

Kev unrolls each piece and carefully places it on the roof

Each piece is butted up tight either to the pebble edging or to the next piece of Enviromat.

A bread knife is Kev's favourite tool for cutting Enviromat - he leaves the sedum matting rolled up and slices through the whole roll.

He spreads a thin layer of green roof growing medium over the joins to encourage the plants to grow over them as quickly as possible.

Job done.

This green roof shed on the Wirral was designed and made by Enviromat customer Mark H.

Mark describes the shed as his "man cave" and he's kindly sent us some photographs of his work.  These pictures were taken 6 months after the sedum roof was installed and I think you'll agree it's looking good.

To keep the sedums looking green and vibrant, Mark will need to feed his roof in early spring with a slow release green roof feed.

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Meadow saxifrage; White flowers on green roofs

April is the month when most green roofs start to show their true colours.  First to bloom on many uk green roofs is the pretty native species, meadow saxifrage.

Meadow saxifrage, scientific name Saxifraga granulata, is well suited to extensive green roofs.

The natural habitat of Meadow saxifrage is rapidly disappearing.  This plant likes ancient meadows but seems to thrive equally well on living roofs.  It seems to enjoy being relatively undisturbed and is quite happy to grow in a shallow layer of well drained growing medium.   It would probably also do well in an alpine bed or a rockery at ground level.

What does Meadow Saxifrage look like?

The leaves are fleshy and have a pretty, rounded shape.  They disappear for most of the winter and appear again in spring.

Sometimes, when a sedum roof is installed, meadow saxifrage is dormant and so when the leaves start to appear they can be mistaken for weeds.

Fear not, For the leaves are soon followed by slim stems and delicate white flowers. There can be up to 12 flowers on one stem.

Flowering stems can reach up to 50 cm tall but tend to be shorter than that on a roof.  The main flush of flowers is in April and May but they can sometimes be seen as late as June.

On a green roof created using Enviromat sedum matting, meadow saxifrage flowers are usually followed by the pinky- white blooms of sedum album.

You may also like:

photos of living roofs in our green roof gallery

How to make a green roof with Enviromat sedum matting

For regular photo updates of green roof plants, sign up for Enviromat's monthly newsletter - we never share details with anyone and you can unsubscribe whenever you want.

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Weeds on green roofs

Spring has sprung and all over the uk plants of all shapes and sizes are growing fast.  In the garden and on living roofs, some plants are more welcome than others.

What is a weed?

A weed is any plant growing in the wrong place.  It might be grass between patio slabs, groundsel in the greenhouse or moss in the lawn.

Weeds that are commonly found on green roofs include grass, moss and tree seedlings.

moss growing on a sedum roof - the moss is thriving at the expense of the more desirable sedums

grass and broad-leaved weeds on a sedum roof

Tree saplings on a green roof - these have been allowed to get out of hand

The pretty white meadow saxifrage can also be mistaken for a weed in the early stages of its growth. But as soon as the flowers appear it's obvious that this particular plant is not to be weeded out.

How to treat weeds on a green roof

1. Know thine enemy;

Identify the weed if you can and try to work out why it is thriving on your roof.

Moss loves damp shade.  Is there a problem with drainage on the roof? Or have we just had such a wet winter that avoiding damp soil has been impossible to do?  

If your green roof is in shade for more than half the day then moss is almost inevitable. 

On a green roof with a deep substrate, try removing as much moss as possible and replanting with shade loving plants such as lesser celandine, vinca minor or wood anenome.

On a shallow substrate roof, you may have to learn to love moss. Alternatively, if the roof can cope with the extra weight, increase the width of the pebble border.  

You can try to establish sedum cuttings in the shady area, but be prepared to do this at least every 2 years.  Sedum album is the most shade tolerant of the succulents that can survive on a shallow substrate.

Grass. Easy to identify and a regular visitor to green roofs. Wet weather and damp conditions will encourage grass to grow. Particularly here in the uk where our climate grows the best grass in the whole world.

Grass is good .... in the right place.  Native grasses are Laval food plants for some butterflies and moths so if you can live with the extra biodiversity please do so.  If your green roof has been properly installed the grass roots won't damage your roof.

If you're hating the extra vegetation it can be weeded out by hand. On a shallow substrate roof you'll often find that a period of drought will kill off the grass plants.  They simply cannot tolerate dry conditions as well as sedums can.

Tree seedlings are unacceptable on any green roof. Remove them ASAP, preferably by hand weeding. If allowed to grow, the roots may be strong enough to damage your waterproofing. 

2. Take timely action to remove weeds

This applies especially to tree seedlings. Never let them get established.

3. Feed your living roof 

With the weeds out of the way, encourage the plants you do want to fill in any bare areas. Applying a proprietary green roof feed will stimulate healthy growth. 

A green roof feed will supply the nutrients that green roof plants need to produce a good show of flowers.

Feeding your green roof is an essential job for spring and should be done every year without fail.  Always follow the manufacturers instructions. 

Getting help with a green roof weed problem

Should you need help or advice on green roof weeds, the green roof maintenance team have a wealth of knowledge and experience.  

All you need to do is email Kevin Docherty with photographs of the whole roof and close ups of the problem areas and he will be happy to advise.

If you need help with green roof maintenance, talk to Enviromat.  After a relaxed chat, you can help decide what work needs to be done, outline any possible problems with access and agree a date and a price for the work. It's a straight forward process and the people at Enviromat have all the right tools and training to be able to do the job properly.  

Buy green roof feed

More about Enviromat's green roof maintenance service

Ask Enviromat for advice

Contact Kevin for a quote on your green roof maintenance

Green roof design guide

What is a green roof?

A green roof is a layer of growing media and plants that sits on top of a standard roof.  Not only does it look amazing, a 
green roof brings with it a whole host of benefits.

How do I make a green roof?

Creating a green roof is easy but it requires forethought and planning.  Throwing some mud and seeds on top of a building 
and hoping for the best is simply not going to work.

There are many different ways to make a green roof, all of them have pros and cons.  Your job is to decide which method best suits your building and your lifestyle.

What is involved in green roof design?

When designing a green roof, it's important to remember that conditions on top of a building are quite different to 
conditions on the ground.

1. Weights and loadings

For a start, a building can only support a finite amount of weight.  That means there are limits to how much growing medium you can put up there.  If you make the substrate layer too deep, you may compromise the structure of the building.

2. Plant choices

Any plants on your green roof will be growing in a limited depth of growing medium. Any gardener will tell you that it's no 
good putting deep rooting plants into shallow soil and expecting them to survive.

It's also going to be quite dry up there, unless you have an irrigation system in place.

In summer, the roof is the hottest place on the whole building.  In winter it's the coldest.  

A green roof will insulate the inside of the structure against heat and cold but the plants are on the outside.  They need to be able to withstand 
temperature extremes.

3. Safe access

Don't forget too, that the plants will need a little bit of TLC during the year.  Choose your plants wisely and the 
maintenance will be minimal.  Nevertheless, you will need to access the roof at least twice a year.  When working at 
heights, Health and Safety is more important than ever.   Make sure that access is good and that you have safety measures 
in place.

Where can I learn more about green roof design?

All of the above factors and more are crucial to the success of a green roof. If you want to avoid disappointment, they all need careful consideration BEFORE you start building.

Enviromat's "Designing for Maintenance" green roof guide will help you to make the right choices for your project.
Download it for free or contact Q Lawns' sales office to have a copy posted to you.

Download the green roof design guide

Green roofs are known to help insulate a building in winter time, cool it in summer time and help manage rainwater.  Retail giant Walmart has been comparing the benefits of green roofs to the benefits of white roofs and worked out how much money each type of roof is saving them.

This article from the spring 2014 issue of living architecture monitor describes their findings.

Big box retailers embracing green roofs

Walmart reveals the results of their green roof life-cycle cost-benefit analysis

The cost-benefit analysis

Walmart has completed a study of the performance of green roofs in collaboration with Arup, roofmeadow, Pennsylvania State University, the Green Team and University of Toronto researchers.  

This work centred on a research roof build in 2006 at Walmart store #5402 in Chicago.  The 133,000 square foot flat roof is just over half green (vegetated) and just under half white (cool) roof.  When constructed, this roof was the largest, most intensively monitored green roof in the world.  Each side was intrumented with equipment to measure variables impacting store energy use and stormwater runoff dynamics.  Monitoring ran for three years.  Data analysis included incorporation of field results into detailed models.

Energy

The green roof saved energy compared to the white roof.  If a full store had a green roof, the data suggestes it would save 1-6% storewide in a range of climates, with a 2.2% savings estimated in Chicago.  

Roof temperatures were up to 40 degrees cooler during hot weather on the green roof, but savings from the green roof were greater in cold weather than in warm weather. Summer savings would be higher if the basis for comparison was a black roof rather than a white one, but Walmart builds new stores in the United States with white roofs.

The green roof has an added benefit of peak load shifting due to its thermal mass.  

This study is one of the first to also demonstrate that the green roof moderates air temperature at rooftop HVAC unit intakes. This translates to air conditioning savings in summer ans well as heating savings in winter.

flooding in Norfolk UK in the 1950's - stormwater management aims to avoid incidents like this

Stormwater

Stormwater retention and peak rate attenuation are tow important criterial affecting city storm sewer capacity and water quality in lakes, rivers and bays.

This study showed that a green roof can retain more rainfall than perviously found by most studies of smaller roofs.  Up to 3.5" were detaitned during some rainfall events.  The soil layer on the roof is only 4" deep, with 3" of media over a 1-inch foam-type drainage mat.  No ponding or drain clogging on the green side was observed.

Of the 100 precipitation events that were studied, the green roof retained an average of 74%.  

Peak runoff from the green roof was delayed 1.25 - 3.25 hours from the rainfall peak, and the rate was 50% to 85% lower than the precipitation peak rate (average 65%)

Maintenance and roof life

The Walmart Chicago green roof costs roughly 45% less to maintain than a typical white Walmart roof.

This is due primarily to the protection the green roof affords the membrane and drains, preventing damage and clogging. Minimal selective weeding and avoidance of irrigation at this location helps to keep green roof maintenance costs low.

Green roofs can also be expected to extend the life of the waterproof membrane from a typical 15 years to 40 or more years.

The bottom line

A financial analysis was done for green vs white roofs in 9 locations (6 metro areas).

The approach to this financial analysis differed from a typical one, in that it compared not just the two roofing systems in isolation, but a development package that includes a green roof with one that uses more conventional means to comply with relevant regulations.

The results showed green roofs have a less than 20 year payback for all locations studied.

One third of the total show a  0-3 year payback.

This study demonstrates that in the right policy environment, green roofs can be an attractive voluntary choice for a retail developer like Walmart.

By Don Moseley

Read this article and more at www.livingarchitecturemonitor.com

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Beekeepers’ Update for Turfland

With honey bee numbers in decline through loss of habitat, disease and pollution it is vital to support the efforts of beekeepers and support applied education and research. Last year Meadowmat and Enviromat suppliers Turfland did just that by joining the Adopt a Beehive scheme. Run by the British Bee Keepers Association (BBKA) they have recently updated us its progress.

The Spring issue of Hive Talk, the BBKA ’s seasonal newsletter, reports on the importance of weatherproofing hives and reveals the positive results of a members survey which found that 70% took precautions to protect their apiaries from wind and rain damage and just 2% experienced any damage last winter.

The is also a convenient guide to help identify numinous types of pollinators from being mistaken for the honey bee including the mason bee, cutter bee, hoverfly and wasp.

Beekeeping is also enjoying a fair amount of positive media coverage at the moment. Featured on ‘Mary Berry Cooks’, and two other upcoming series, Martha Kearney’s bee-keeping year on BBC 4 and ‘The Science of Bees’ on BBC 2.

Hive Talk also includes research and training updates and information on the importance of honey bees as pollinators. It mentions the shortage natural meadow forage, something which our Meadowmat  - Wildflower matting can provide. 

BBKA also provides a North West Update with news from two adopt a beehive keepers in Lancashire and how they coped this winter. Caroline and Fred are clearly optimistic for the spring and summer ahead.

To learn more about Adopt a Beehive and the British Bee Keepers Association please visit their website: www.adoptabeehive.co.uk

Struggling with the garden? Don’t turn to stone

It’s not hard to create green places for reluctant gardeners

Relaxing in the garden is a great way to unwind and escape from the stress, but for some people, caring for the garden is stressful in itself.  Lack of space, lack of time, physical limitations and indeed lack of confidence are all cited as reasons for not gardening.

Sadly, when gardening seems like a chore, the householder all too often turns to stone.  Paving, gravel or maybe decking are seen as easily maintained, all weather surfaces; which of course they are.  In my opinion, they’re also quite dull.  They don’t change with the seasons, they don’t attract interesting wildlife, there’s no movement, no scent and no productivity.

Here are two planting solutions that can bring interest into the garden without making a whole lot of work

Mixed sedum plants make great groundcover

Images of sedum plants used as ground cover.  Using mixed species gives a longer flowering period and some interesting textures.  Pebbles work well with sedums, the plants also look good growing between paving stones or stepping stones.

Sedum plants are incredibly easy to care for. All they need is a sunny spot and a little bit of growing medium and they'll thrive. Sedums are drought tolerant, have flowers that are irresistible to butterflies and many of them keep their leaves all year round.

Using Enviromat sedum matting, these pretty little plants can be established into the garden in just a couple of hours. I can promise you too, that you won't feel as though you're gardening. Installing this matting is more of a DIY job.

Download free guide to using sedum matting as ground cover

Create a wildflower meadow for the ultimate in easy care gardening

When it comes to easy gardening, nothing beats a wildflower garden.  Native plants are the ones that have been growing in this country since the ice-age. They're really well adapted to our climate and so they don't need to be mollycoddled in any way shape or form.

A wildflower meadow can be a great substitute for a lawn, will definitely help to absorb rainwater and lessen the risk of flooding and it looks sooooo good.

Managing a wildflower meadow is simple, especially if you like big tools. All you need to do is let the plants finish flowering and then choose a lovely warm summers day to chop everything down. You can use a strimmer; but there are grass cutting tools out there that will do the job much better. Leave the clippings to dry for a couple of days, then remove them. They can go on the compost heap or be fed to pets such as guinea pigs or rabbits.

Here's a short video to show you just how easy it is to create a wildflower meadow

Download more information about Meadowmat

Living Roofs for Garden Sheds in Enfield and North London

Three Counties Garden Buildings are offering living green roofs as an option on their range of garden buildings

A green roof is a wonderful addition to any shed, playhouse, summerhouse or garden office and is particularly important in urban areas. The UK desperately needs more green plants. They help to filter harmful pollutants from the air, they increase biodiversity and they produce oxygen for us to breathe. In short, green plants are essential to live.

Why put a green roof on a shed?

Aside from the benefits to the environment, there are many reasons for putting a green roof on your shed. Here are just a few:

• It's cool: A green roof on the outside will help cool the inside of your building on hot days. Plants use a process called evapotranspiration to cool their surroundings so they don't cook. A summerhouse, shed or garden office with plants growing on the roof is far more comfortable to sit (or work) in than one with a standard felt or shingle roof.
• It's hot: In winter time, a green roof will insulate a garden building against the cold and help keep it warmer for longer. The benefits for a garden office are obvious (lower heating bills) but for a storage shed, it could help prevent the contents being damaged by frost.
• It's lovely: Whether you like strong, contemporary lines or soft flowing curves a living green roof looks just lovely. It can turn a boring expanse of roofing felt into something that has all year round interest. A real show-stopper
• It's eco: The term "eco" comes from the greek word for home and a living green roof will soon become home to many beneficial insects. Butterflies and bees will visit the flowers for food, minibeasts will live amongst the plants and will in turn become food for visiting birds. It's interesting to watch and it's great to know that you're giving Mother Nature a hand.
• It's an investment: A green roof, just like any "green" feature adds value to a property. It will also make the waterproofing on your shed last longer, saving on long-term maintenance costs.
• It's green: Saving on fuel, absorbing CO2, filtering air pollutants, helping wildlife. Everything about a green roof is well....green

How to put a green roof on your shed

It's not difficult to put a green roof onto a garden building, particularly if you use Enviromat's simple matting system. It's just a matter of being confident at DIY and at working at heights.

Watch our video to see how easy it is to install Enviromat

Where to buy a shed with a green roof

North LondonThree Counties Garden Buildings is based at Crews Hill, just outside Enfield and an easy walk from Crews Hill train station. The road that Three Counties sits on is well worth a visit for anyone with even just the slightest interest in gardening. Within a stones throw of Three Counties Garden Buildings are several garden centres, each with a different speciality. Turf and topsoil, aquatics, plants, hard landscaping - you name it, you'll find it here.

Norfolk: Crane Garden Buildings near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. If you're looking for style and quality you'll find it here. Crane Garden Buildings are made in Norfolk and on display at show sites in Norfolk, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire

DIY: order a green roof kit from Enviromat and create your own living roof shed:

Downloadable guide to creating a green roof

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Enviromat sedum matting might seem like the perfect way to create a green wall, but trails have show that it is not.   Angela Lambert explains why:

What is a green wall?

A green wall, sometimes known as a living wall, a vertical garden or an eco wall is a wall that is completely covered with live plants.

A living green wall created using Mini-Garden modules

Conventional ways to make a green wall

There are various different ways of creating a green wall

Cladding a building with climbing plants such as ivy, wisteria or russian vine

Training fruit trees or hedging plants to grow in front of a wall

Using geotextile membranes, steel frames and hydroponics to grow the plants in

Using a modular vertical gardening system such as the Mini-Garden

Experimenting with green wall construction

One of the very best things about gardening and using plants is trying out new ideas. Plant combinations, colour schemes, soil types, recycled materials, different planters the list variables is endless and fascinating.

It's great fun to experiment with green roofing and green walling too.

Very soon after Q Lawns started to grow Enviromat on our farm in Norfolk, we were asked to supply some sedum matting for a green wall project in London

This was a good 10 years ago when green walling was in it's infancy. The client had seen what Pierre Blanc was doing with geotextile based living walls and wanted to try something similar.

Cross section of Enviromat sedum matting showing reinforcing net

Enviromat is the only UK grown sedum matting that has a strong nylon net woven into the backing. This net means that Enviromat is strong enough to be hung vertically without all of the growing medium and the plants sliding off. In theory, that means that Enviromat can be used for green walling.

How does sedum mat perform on green walls?

It was interesting to watch the progress of this London green wall.

The Enviromat sedum mat was mounted onto a steel frame and hung vertically on the wall of a courtyard. There was a clever irrigation system in place to ensure that the plants had enough water and nutrients.

At first, it looked fabulous.Beautiful. The plants thrived and some of them even flowered.

After 6 months however, the sedum plants began to look weak and tired and the leaves started to break off. Was it lack of food? or the wrong food? not enough water? too much water?

In actual fact, the problem with using sedum matting to make a green wall was the plants' growth habit. The sedums were trying to grow up towards the light and to do that they needed to grow at 90 degrees to the wall and then turn another 90 degrees to aim skywards. That created a bend in the plant. The bent stem was weak and broke easily meaning that the plant couldn't access sunlight and therefore starved

What is the advice for using sedum matting vertically?

In a word, don't

Sedum matting is fine for a temporary green wall - for example as an exhibit at a flower show. But it won't last.

What to use for green walling

Angela Lambert from Enviromat is researching a modular green wall system called Mini-Garden. So far, the system looks as though it will be easy to install and very flexible as far as plant choices go.

To keep up to date with Angela's experimental green wall, use the form below to sign up for our vertical gardening newsletter

Be assured that Enviromat will never ever share your contact details with anyone else and of course, if you don't like the newsletter you can unsubscribe at any time

Garden centres and TV Gardener team up to support Cultivation Street campaign

Over 250 garden centres, including big brands Dobbies, Klondyke and Haskins have committed to the Cultivation Street campaign to encourage local residents to team together and get gardening.

The national campaign was launched by TV Gardener David Domoney in association with the Horticultural Trade Association and the Sunday People newspaper and aims to promote gardening among communities and bring together neighbours to make their street a nicer place to live. A top prize of £10,000 worth of National Garden Gift Vouchers will be awarded to the winning street with an additional 16 regional and special recognition awards.

Celebrity Gardener David Domoney

Campaign founder David Domoney is best known as co-presenter, alongside Alan Titchmarsh, of  ITV1’s  prime-time television gardening series ’Love Your Garden’ and is clearly delighted with the response so far.  “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support from garden centres up and down the country. It’s great to see them using the campaign as a way to engage with their local communities and promote gardening to more people. The purpose of the campaign is to bring people together through gardening, and to encourage people who are new to gardening to get outside and have a go.” He added: “We need even more garden centres to join in and help us make a difference. It’s a great way for them to build stronger relationships with their local community. Garden centres are the best place for people to get advice and recommendations.”

It couldn’t be easier for garden centres to get involved and engage with their local community. They can apply to the HTA to receive a free POS and marketing pack with a totem display, posters, leaflets and stands. For more information they should visit the Cultivation Street website www.daviddomoney.com/cultivation-street. While those looking for original gardening ideas to improve their front gardens can visit  www.enviromat.co.uk

Introducting BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out

BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out is a new scheme, unveiled in October 2014, that sets out to help improve the sustainability and environmental performance of existing buildings.

The scheme allows developers, owners and occupiers to save running costs and demonstrate their environmental credentials

Refurb and fit-out covers such things as energy, water, pollution, materials, waste, health and wellbeing, and management. Included in that remit are things like green roofs, living walls and landscaping.

Aims of BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-Out

The UK is comitted to cutting CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. That's a lot! and it includes emissions from housing as well as from schools, hospitals, offices, industry and vehicles. An estimated 78% of current UK homes will still be here in 2050 it is important that they will all be as energy efficient and environmentally sustainable as possible.

The new scheme aims to highlight the importance of a whole range of issues and to encourage people to futureproof their properties by

• Identifying sustainability issues ie using long-lasting materials from sustainable sources and ensuring that they are easy to maintain
• Tackling fuel poverty - oil and gas are running out. Our homes need to use as little energy as possible, which means better insulation, better use of natural light, and more efficient appliances
• Reducing the risk of flooding - maximising the use of rainwater storage and natural drainage - these are one of the biggest benefits of a green roof
• Support initiatives to enhance the health and wellbeing of occupants. Green space, landscaping, living roofs and living walls all have strong associations with improved wellbeing.

Gavin Somerson from The Building Research Establishment said BRE hoped the new scheme wouldencourage more people involved in retrofits and refurbishments to gor for BREEAM accreditation. "We've included criteria to get people to consider biodiversity. That might be things like green roofs and green walls, and how you can improve the landscaping around a building. There's a lot of opportunity to bring biodiversity into existing landscapes."

Supporting new standards for the private rented sector

The new scheme has been driven by new minimum EPC standards for the private rented sector which come into force from April 2018. From then, it will be unlawnful to let properties with low energy efficiency.

For More Information

BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment leaflet

Benefits of green roofing

Green roof costs vs benefits

Green roof maintenance

What a difference a year makes

As the light fades and the weather starts to turn for the worse, it is a sure sign that winter is on its way.

Time to pack up `Dolly’ the trolley and lock the fertiliser away in the shed, we still have a few jobs to do on the roof, such as weeding and grass removal but in the main the season is over for us.

We have had some good results this year; the weather has been good for most things green in this world;

This was taken June 2013................................

 This was taken July 2014, Can you spot the difference? It is amazing what a bit of fertiliser can do.

Essential green roof maintenance jobs

Remember Green roofs are living things and like all living things, they need the basic building blocks of life to survive.

Sunlight, water and nutrients are the things a sedum green roof will need to survive.

Mother nature provides sunshine and water, but if you want the very best results from your green roof, you must help it along with a spring/summer feed.

Be sure too that gutters and drainage outlets are kept clear, unwanted plants are removed at least once a year and that fallen leaves and other debris don't stay on the roof for any length of time.

Getting help with green roof maintenance

If you need any help or advice concerning your green roof please contact us at www.enviromat.co.uk.  Click here to send us an email.

How to find a green roof contractor

Some of you may be contemplating having a new extension, new shed, even a new summer house, if you are, there is more to think about then just what colour to paint it.

I am going to tell you about the benefits and joys of having a green roof; I’m also going to give you advice on finding your own green roof contractor.

Why have a living green roof?

Benefits: - Attracts and supports wildlife, without pollinating insects we will have no food.

• Insulates from the heat and cold, resulting in cheaper bills.
• Extends the lifespan of the waterproofing layer, can help to double the lifespan of your roof.
• Drastically reduces the amount of storm water that is put into our sewers and waterways, this is important as global warming and flash floods are happening throughout the country.
• It can also reduce the noise from outside; ideal if you like somewhere quiet or you live in a busy city centre. Also a great idea for recording studios.
• And the most important thing, it looks fantastic all year round. In the colder months some species of sedum turn a red, orange colour.

Who should install your green roof?

Installation of a green roof is a specialist job that requires a different skill set and qualifications than a normal roofing project.

Your contractor should be qualified; competent to work at height ; have the relevant insurances in place in case of accidents or damage to the waterproofing. If you are un-sure CHECK.

The contractor should have horticulture experience and preferably be involved with the production of the plants to put on the roof, this should help catch any issues before it arrives on site.

Examples of work from experienced green roof contractors

Below are a few installations carried out by www.Enviromat.co.uk

London  

A very new installation - this picture was taken before the sedum plants had fully recovered from their journey....it usually takes a couple of days.  The sedum mats have been carefully fitted so that there is no danger of wind uplift.

Edinburgh

No need for edgings on this roof as it has a raised sill.  Kevin and Dom have made a neat job of trimming around the roof lights.

Loughborough    

This customer opted for a neat pebble border to give a contemporary look and feel to the roof.   

Cambridge

Access here was a bit tricky but Kevin and Dom are at once competant and confident when working at height.  This roof will be beautiful to look at from an upstairs window.

UK-wide green roof installation

If you need any advice or would like to order your green roof please contact Enviromat.  We cover the whole of the UK and use quality-controlled sedum mats grown on our farm in Norfolk.

We can also advise you on green roof maintenance and on all aspects of  making your own living green roof.

Green roof planting ideas

The long-term success of a green roof is heavily dependant on the choice of plant species, the method of establishing the plants and their maintenance regime.

Right plant, right place

Let's take a look at that age-old saying "right plant! right place"

The plant pallet available to Gardeners today is vast. Absolutely vast. The average horticultural retailer will offer plants from every continent and every climate. There are annuals, biennials and perennials. Hardy plants, half hardy plants, woody plants, herbaceous plants, foliage plants, succulents, herbs, grasses ... The list goes on. So how does a self-respecting architect go about helping a client select a suitable plant pallet for a green roof?

The first step in selecting plants is to look at the conditions they are to grow in. When designing a new building with a living roof, most of the growing conditions can be specified. When retrofitting you are somewhat restricted to adapting the roof to suit the building and it's environment.

What do green roof plants need?

Plants are living things, and like all living things they need 3 basic things;

1. Water - in the right quantities for the species. Too little and they wilt, too much and they drown.
2. A source of food. Plants harness energy from sunlight to combine basic chemical elements the air and from their growing medium to make their own food.
3. Air. Every living thing needs air to breath and most like it to be within certain temperature parameters. Unlike humans and animals, plants cannot move to a warmer or a colder place if the temperature doesn't suit. So choose plants to suit the temperature conditions on your roof ..... Or be prepared to re- plant it when they expire.
As an architect designing a living green roof, you must find a balance between what the plants need and what the building can support.

At some point, the sedum plants on this roof didn't get what they needed

Green roofing essentials

• Daylight: It's a basic requirement for plants. If your roof is in deep shade for most of the day, a green roof is not a sensible option
• Drainage - to ensure plants are not waterlogged
• Water retention - To supply basic requirement for water. For particularly thirsty plant species, on very exposed roofs, steep slopes or when the substrate layer is too shallow for the plants' root system, an irrigation system may be needed.
• Growing medium. This is what will anchor the plants to the roof and supply vital nutrients. NEVER even think about using topsoil. Only use a specially engineered green roof substrate. It's lighter than soil, the partical sizes mean it won't erode or become compacted and the reduced proportion of organic matter mean it won't oxidise.The depth of growing medium will be determined by the load bearing capacity of the roof
• Plants - more on that later.
• Maintenance - bear in mind that whatever planting scheme you go for, it WILL need maintenance. That means safe access, and managing client expectations.

How deep should the growing medium be?

A green roof is essentially a large, somewhat flattened version of a plant pot. The plants growing in it have a finite space for their roots. The depth of the growing medium on a green roof is dictated by the load bearing capacity of the building. As a rule of thumb, the deeper the better because it will offer better insulation, stormwater attenuation and plant diversity. But where weight is an issue, a sedum blanket build-up is the least heavy of all green roof systems.

When plants become pot bound, they either die, perform poorly, or the roots attempt to escape. The very last thing you need on a green roof is for the plants to damage the waterproofing so:

• always choose plants with non- invasive roots
• make sure growing medium is a suitable depth for your chosen plant pallet

A list of plants and substrate depths can be found here

Suitable plants for green roofing

Conditions on a roof are often more extreme than conditions on the ground. When the weather is hot, a roof is hotter. when it's cold out there, the roof will be much colder. On a sustainable, easily managed green roof, the plants will also need to cope with high winds and minimal maintenance. Choose plants that are;

• Drought tolerant
• Frost hardy
• Heat resistant
• Perennial (ie they grow back every year so you don't need to replace them)
• Self perpetuating (ie they will set seed, spread via the roots, or make new shoots to fill in bare spaces
• Have a sensible growth habit ie (won't outgrow their situation)
• Have low nutrient requirements (green roof growing medium is not rich enough to support hungry plants)
• Have non-invasive roots
• Have achievable maintenance requirements
• Are suited to the levels of light and shade on the roof

Your green roof plants should also enhance their environment. In which case they must be;

• Aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with the building. Particularly if the roof is overlooked
• Valuable to local wildlife. Ie provide food, shelter and resting places for insects and birds
• Where BREEAM points are an objective, green roof plants need to be acceptable to the onsite SQE

A bumblebee enjoying sedum flowers

Establishing plants on a green roof

An important factor in the specification of green roof plants is establishment. How will the plants get to be growing in the substrate you have provided?

Apart from self-colonisation; where the substrate is left bare and Mother Nature is allowed to create her own plant pallet over time, there are four different ways of establishing plants on a living green roof

1. Seeding
2. Plug plants
3. Mature plants
4. Vegetation blankets

As an architect, you need to balance your clients wishes with the real life practicalities. What is their budget? Are they expecting instant greening or are they prepared to wait while the plants get established? Do they want the neat, contemporary look achieved with sedum blankets, or would they prefer a shaggy wildflower meadow on their roof? Are they expecting instant greening or are they prepared to wait while the plants get established?How will you lift the plant material onto the roof? Who will do the planting?

This table compares the different types of plant establishment so that you can strike the right chord with your clients

Remember too, that the simplest, fastest maturing system will likely bring the quickest at paying back its carbon cost. Particularly if the plants are grown as locally as possible to the site.

Substrate depth for green roof plants

For more information on designing a living green roof, download our Designing for Maintenance pdf

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Essential maintenance tips to keep your green roof alive and looking great

It's one thing to have a green roof installed on a building, but it's something else entirely looking after it. These are not your average roof, after all, and they need special care and attention to ensure they last and look incredible.

Not every building – whether a public building such as a school or local authority office, or indeed a home or private office – may be suitable for a green roof installation. Remember that it is a living thing and requires basic conditions such as drainage, water and access to sufficient amounts of sunlight to survive. You certainly won't want your stunning new roof to die off after just a few weeks, leaving you not only bitterly disappointed but badly out of pocket.

If you're considering this attractive new feature for your building, hopefully your installation company will give the go-ahead after the relevant area has been surveyed and assessed. Once it's in place and your building is looking great with this new addition, it's then up to you to ensure it stays that way.

Basic green roof maintenance

One of the key things you need to ensure throughout the year, especially during the growing season, is that drainage systems are not blocked. That could lead to a build-up of water under the soil that could cause damage to the plants and possibly kill them. So make sure gutters are clear at all times, especially after stormy days that can cause leaves to be deposited there and clog them up. In real terms, that means a quick visit twice a year. In autumn, once the leaves have finished falling, and again in early spring to make sure all is well for the summer.

Equally importantly, feed your flowers, grass and whatever else you have growing up there – they're hungry! Use a suitable fertiliser at recommended doses and intervals to give your roof-bound flora a real boost, and they'll reward you by looking better than ever.

Occasionally weeds will appear should be removed by hand. Falling leaves and other materials will eventually spoil your beautiful lofty environment, so you'll have to get up there at the end of autumn and remove the debris.

Green roof help and advice

If you'd like to know more about installing a green roof on your building, and our ongoing maintenance services, get in touch with us here at Enviromat and we'll be pleased to tell you more.

How to go really green with a living roof

Some people go green with a smart thermostat in their house or solar panels on the roof. While these additions might go some way to saving money and power usage, they don't directly help the local ecology.

A green Enviromat roof, on the other hand, will help the bugs, bees and birds in your immediate neighbourhood, whilst providing a gorgeous feature around your home or garden. Enviromat provides a constant sea of green and flowering plants for your sheds, summer houses, stables or other outbuildings, in the form of an easy-to-install-and-maintain sedum roof and matting. Ideal for the home environment or on offices, it can also provide a green feature where there isn't a natural alternative - in built-up areas and high rise-apartments, for example.

We can help install and maintain your roof; installation is recommended as the materials can be heavy and it is definitely a job for more than one person. Plant maintenance is minimal, requiring only a yearly feed, but we can regularly check to ensure the matting is secure and in good condition. If you're planning a new garden or building, then we are more than happy to work with the designer, architects or contractors to install one.

Enviromat is available in custom sizings to fit any project, coming with a range of sedum and stonecrop plants that will flower throughout the year, providing constant variety and colour. As well as being good for the wildlife, Enviromat helps absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and can filter dust particles and other pollutants. The Enviromat product drains easily and is drought-tolerant. With minimal need for watering, it will thrive whatever the local weather conditions.

So, instead of throwing money into high-technology green solutions, why not go back to basics? Add a flexible, attractive and truly environmentally friendly piece of greenery which is modern, and can help bring life to an old building or make a true feature out of a shed or other building.

How to make a living green roof