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| Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Chicago Department of Environment |
| Chicago’s City Hall has just one of the several intensive green roofs found in the downtown area. |
Green roofs are catching a lot of attention in the eco-conscious media lately. After all, they clean the air, reduce storm water runoff, lower heating and cooling bills and reduce the urban heat island effect. (Oh, and they look nice, too.) But the big question is this: Are they something that you can do at home? That’s a tough one. The answer really depends on the type of commitment you want to make to “greening” up your home.
There are basically three kinds of “green roofs.” The first isn’t really a green roof at all, but it can help you take some first steps toward green roof technology. It’s simply creating space for a container garden – usually on a rooftop deck. While not located directly on your roof, it’s still a great way to fight air pollution, help reduce heat absorption and add beauty to your surroundings. (It’s also the least expensive option in green roofs.) | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Chicago Department of Environment | | The pathway atop Chicago’s City Hall offers a brilliant view of the city…if you can get past the brilliant view of the plants. |
The other two types are extensive and intensive green roof systems. For both of these, the rooftop is actually the garden. Extensive rooftop systems are generally lighter in material and are simpler eco-friendly roof options. Plant material is limited. You’ll typically see a variety of tough sedums that hold up well to the heat and do well in periods with little rainfall. These guys cover the soil quickly and prevent erosion. In a nutshell, the rooftops won’t look like the lush garden in your back yard, but they still do the tough work that green roofs do best: Make life better for us on the ground.
Intensive roof systems are true gardens in the sky. These beauties have the look and feel of strolling through your down-to-earth garden. Again, you can’t plant just any old species up there, but these gardens can be quite colorful! Because the soil’s deeper on these roofs, they can sustain plants with longer roots. So you might find things like purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, catmint and prairie dropseed.
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