This October has been glorious. We are lucky, the greenroof has been more labor intensive and expensive than anticipated.
-Waterproof membrane $1000 and 700 pounds needed help to move it (thanks to those who helped)
-PearlLite from Mallad Idaho (in the giant white bags) $500 a light weight soil mixture to help with drainage
-Top soil $200
-Peat Moss $300
-Plants $500 got a great deal from Willard Bay Nursery on succulents and other small rooted, draught tolerant, evergreenish plants
-Crates $500 keeps all the planting medium from sliding off and provides drainage
Give it a few years to grow in and it will be beautiful.
Digging in the dirt is such a joy to me. It is something that gives me pure happiness. That magical chemistry of life and death and renewal. Now we not only have plants underneath our feet but also over our heads.
I couldn't find a Thoreau quote on roofs, this surprises me because they are the ultimate symbol of our disconnect with nature. We build this structure to keep out the cold, the wind, the rain. This structure protects us from the dangers of the unknown, of a world that can be violent and unpredictable. This structure becomes the line between the natural and the man made. Humans can spend their entire life never leaving a place with a roof over their head. You get into your car in the garage, drive to a parking terrace, never have to feel the heat of the sun or the biting cold. Never feel the wind in your hair or the rain on your face. Without these constant discomforts and unpredictable possible dangers we lose our ability to adapt-- to problem-solve-- to enjoy the few brief moments of perfection. The natural world teaches us how to cope with the discomforts of being human. To be patient and hope and know that all that is beautiful will return again.
