Have you noticed that you can’t open a newspaper, magazine or website without finding articles about the importance of sustainability and listing green roofs as a way to “green-up” our urban areas? Nevertheless, when you think about it, it’s not hard to imagine the countless opportunities available to introduce a little bit of wildlife into what are essentially areas of tarmac and concrete with the occasional tree.
For example, we all know that riding a bike is a very eco-friendly, healthy method of getting from A to B, but if you live in London,where do you put your bike? In a bike store of course.
Charles Mitchel of Treesaurus has had the brilliant idea of including a wildflower turf roof into the design of his bike store and built one this summer for one of his clients in Wandsworth.
The quite small flat roof 2.64m², required a waterproof membrane, up-stand with drainage channels to allow rainwater run-off and 14 bags of substrate (growing medium) to 100mm depth for the plant roots to grow into. This was all topped off with wildflower roof turf; a glorious mix of 31 species of native wildflowers (50%) and 4 species of clump forming, non-invasive grasses (50%).
The wildflower turf will encourage bees, butterflies and moths plus some other amazing insects such as soldier flies, leaf-hoppers, pollen beetles and hover flies, which will all benefit from the wildflowers and grasses when they begin to bloom in the late spring. What a great way to encourage wildlife to an urban garden at eye level where everyone can enjoy the spectacle.
This charming useful solution therefore, ticks more than one Eco-box we reckon – do you agree?
Pictured below is the bike store with its wildflower turf roof!!
