If you wanted to know about the roof system, I can tell you it's very
interesting!
He built rows of wood planters (he has wood tiles not fiberglass or pottery
tiles for shingles) He gives them a good sealing each spring.

I would suggest you check with an architect first for weight limitations on
your roof prior to thinking about this as it would be a very sad day when
your roof garden comes crashing down on your house! He had to install
additional bracing in his attic due to the additional weight.

Following his roof lines he built rows much like a staircase with walking
area's in between each row. 6" above the roof he built metal decks and
angled them the same slope of his roof. To this metal deck he attached on
the lower end, rain gutters which all drain on a specific side and attached
these into his existing gutter system.

On top of his metal decks he built wood supports I just called him and he
said these sit only 2" above the metal deck. This is where he built his
wood planters. He staggered the sizes, the ones closest to the ground are
only 6" tall by 12" wide. He grows lettuce and radishes in the more shallow
ones. He graduated the sizes 6" for each row adding 2" of width for each 6"
in height. The top row (tallest point of his roof) is only 2.5' tall--in
this he plants his melons and takes care to keep these pruned. Also the top
row of his north side he plants corn but he says it doesn't do very well as
it only supports 2 rows of corn staggered in the same container.

He says this year he is going to install a misting system for watering but
in the past he has drug a hose around. Due to his time required up on his
roof, he broke down last season and built a deck for entertaining. This is
the same height as the lowest end of his roof. A barbeque deck below the
upper deck (which his wife calls her tanning deck). The lower deck is in
full shade and is very nice to see! If only I had his talent for
building-----but I don't!

He wants to warn anyone thinking about doing this that the roof system cost
him his retirement funds. Though it did give him the additional 6,000
square feet of garden space if he covered his entire roof but he has only
done the back half of the house. Also he ran into some zoning issues with
the city and all us neighbors had to sign a letter for the city for him to
be able to do it.

He plants anything he can get his hands on but says the best plants are
plants which don't require more than one row for correct pollination,
Beets, carrots, radish, lettuce, cabbage, peppers, egg plant---anything he
doesn't have to stake as he hasn't come up with an artful way to support
these without looking trashy.

Timber
www.timberslodge.net
....a Step Through Time


"Minteeleaf" wrote in message
...
Timber wrote:

Are you home in the sunlight hours?
I have seen people plant entire gardens on wheels for just this reason.

Can you describe this thoroughly please?
What containers, what plants, how did it work?

Minteeleaf