Small Green Roofs

May 30, 2011
Whether in the urban jungle or a pastoral countryside, a hard rooftop presents an opportunity to improve drainage, increase biodiversity, and create microhabitats. With 40 small-scale examples of green roofs, from sheds to houses, this informative manual will inspire and inform. The authors, hailing from the U.S. and U.K., bring together a wealth of professional, academic, and personal experience in living roofs. This lavishly illustrated book reviews the basics of design and installationâbuilding structure, weight of the roof, drainage, growing medium, irrigation, and plantsâwith the bulk of the pages devoted to real-life examples. The projects include a garden shed that was beautified by Dunnett with a variety of flowering plants, a city rooftop retreat, and a commercial-scale organic farm in New York City. Structures from the U.K., New Zealand, and a host of locations within the U.S. demonstrate that green roofing is a flexible technology that can be applied to a range of climates and serve many purposes. For homeowners, landscape architects, and engineers, this is a great overview of projects that won't break the bank.

Starred review from June 15, 2011

This collaboration by four enthusiastic experts demystifies the process of planning, designing, installing, and maintaining green roofs. Dunnett (landscape dept., Univ. of Sheffield), with Dusty Gedge (founder, livingroofs.org), John Little (Grass Roof Company), and Edmund C. Snodgrass (Emory Knoll Farms & Green Roof Plants, Street, MD), discusses roof design, plant selection, growing media, weight loads, and other practical considerations and extols the benefits of living roofs. Bountifully illustrated and brimming with stimulating information and ideas, this guide, which claims to be the first book to focus on small-scale domestic green-roof projects, fills a niche on the gardening shelf and nicely achieves its objective to be "both inspiring and practical." More than half of the book is devoted to engaging profiles of creative and unique green-roof projects, including sheds, garages, houses, small structures, and community projects, undertaken around the world, including Dunnett's own garden sheds. Sidebars add context and perspective. VERDICT Highly recommended for gardeners and environmentalists and anyone interested in greening up.--Donna L. Davey, New York Univ. Lib.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.