It was a really simple process… first we installed a couple of wooden posts inside the container, to provide additional structural strength and support. Secondly a waterproof membrane was placed on top of the container.
Drainage was a consideration because you do not want pools of water to sit on the roof. The container already had a slight pitch which was sufficient. Providing good drainage will also help to keep the grasses in check, because they favour wetter conditions, whereas the wildflowers prefer drier conditions.

The Wildflower Roof Turf was easy to install, here is how we did it…

Directly on top of the waterproof membrane we installed substrate sacks. These are easy to manage and contain an inert, ph modified, low nutrient compost based growing medium, perfect for the Wildflower Turf to bed into.
Once the sacks have been installed it is at this point, that in most instances screeding is carried out, which involves applying a thin layer of loose substrate over the top of the sacks.
The advantage of screeding: it fills the gaps between the sacks, leveling the substrate layer whilst creating a neater, smoother surface for the turf to be laid onto. However we decided for this project, screeding was not necessary. Because we did not apply screeding we overlapped the substrate sacks by about 100mm.

Substrate sacks neatly overlapped

Next we needed to get the turf onto the roof…to make it easier we used a JCB to hold the pallet of turf to the right height to allow the rolls of turf to be taken off one by one. This saved time and energy and was also safer, because the rolls did not need to be carried up the ladder to the roof.

By having the pallet of turf lifted to the correct height it made it easier and safer

The turf is at the right height to be taken off one roll at a time

The next step is to lay the turf in neat rows, making sure that you do not overlap the edges, but rather butt the edges up tightly, like the illustration below demonstrates.

Correct way to lay the Wildflower Turf

Incorrect way to lay Wildflower Turf

Because we wanted to overhang the turf slightly around the edge of the container, we started laying the turf from the outside and worked inwards. We also laid the turf in sections, to avoid walking on it constantly. Although the Turf is very robust it is advisable to try to keep the foot traffic to a minimum.

The rolls are quite manageable for one person, however do take care when lifting; they weigh around 18kg!

As you can see, the turf just rolls out like a carpet

Once the turf has been unrolled, it can be nudged into place, taking care to leave no gaps

Sometimes it will be necessary to trim the turf, which can be easily done by using a sharp knife.

Trimming the turf

The completed green roof… this one simple change has made the container not only more aesthetically pleasing, but also a suitable habitat for wildlife passing through. It will help make a welcome retreat for species migrating from one habitat to another by providing both food and shelter.

Completed green roof

If you have any questions about how to establish a green roof give us a call, we would be happy to discuss your project with you.

Wildflower Roof Turf on display at the International Construction Bureau, Poole Dorset

As you can see from the photos it provides ideas and scenarios for green roof projects, illustrating the use of gravel for edging, drainage, as well as additional features such as railings.

Gravel edging and railing

As you can see from these pictures the turf is looking very green and healthy showing its resilience during the winter months…

close-up of the roof display

Photos provided by Mick Smith the Regional Technical Sales Manager.

Although summer is nearing its end, new Bumblebee Queens need to drink lots of nectar to build up body fat in order to survive the winter.  Bumblebee species such as the Buff-tailed,  Red-tailed and White-tailed are easy to identify and will all be fattening up now.  Those last few flowers will still be important to their survival.

Butterflies are now few and far between, with just a few species still in evidence compared with a few weeks ago.  Some hibernate through the winter and therefore still need to top up on nectar to get them through the winter.  Whilst  Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow found feeding on Common Knapweed, Musk Mallow and Vipers Bugloss, need the nectar to build up energy and fat reserves in order to migrate back to Africa, Peacock and Red Admiral are likely to be found grazing too in preparation for hibernation.

Ladybirds are also still at large at this time of the year, and feed voraciously on black flies and green flies found on many wildflowers.  They also need to build up fat reserves in order to survive the winter in hibernation.

Our recommendation is to leave your wildflower meadow until at least the autumn is well underway, then to cut it down and remove all the cuttings.  By then most of the flowers will have seeded and will make for an even more beautiful meadow next year and the Bumblebees, Butterflies and Ladybirds will also be there to enjoy.

But what was James doing there?  Being interviewed by Laura Ansell of BBC Radio Solent for the Alan Dyke Show no less.

The show is being broadcasted on Friday 3rd June @ 11:40, when you can listen as James describes the logistics of such a large project and the benefits of a wildflower roof in such a beautiful area on the edge of the New Forest.

The popularity of wildflower roof turf is growing in this country especially in the face increasing pressure to establish green corridors for wildlife.

You can also hear James explaining how the biodiverse nature of wildflower roof turf is overtaking the previous popularity of Sedum roofs.

Here are a few photo’s of the Paultons Park roof for you to enjoy.

Jim was kind enough this week to send us a lovely collection of photo’s of their roof project as it progressed as well as the finished result.  The other great thing about their project is the use of a solar panel which charges a battery thus providing light as the evenings draw in.  The beauty is that now the wildflowers have grown up you can no longer see the solar panel.  Ingenious.

It does look simply stunning and what a lovely place to enjoy a glass of wine of a summer’s evening.

We are sure you will find this as inspirational as we have.

There are two new main pages, one showing our green roof products, and another is a Laying Guide for green roofs.

Watch out next year for Green Walls!

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!!

We think we’ve found some pretty nifty ideas that you might like to try out to use up those little scraps that you just feel it would be a waste to throw away.

Today, as the rain steadily falls on our freshly strimmed wildflower meadow (note for your diary), I am looking at some lovely photos sent in by one of our customers who bought some wildflower turf for the roof of his garden shelter.  We received a lovely email from Robin Bennet earlier this month, “Last year I covered a small garden shelter with your wildflower turf which you kindly allowed me to collect from the farm. I was very pleased with the whole operation”   Robin didn’t stop there, but gave us a lovely solution for those little left over scraps of turf as well,  “people should not throw away any pieces of turf left – I had a couple of scraps and stuck them in a small pot and put the pots in 2 milk churns next to the shelter and they have done incredibly well – on the 3rd flowering of the daisies at the moment !”

Below are the photo’s that Robin sent us.  Thank you Robin, we love your innovative idea.

Other ideas could be putting scraps of wildflower turf on the roof of your bird table, or even into hanging baskets.  Of course they will need watering but we know you’ll be delighted at the results.

You know, there’s something quintessentially British about sitting in a sunny corner of the garden on a lazy Sunday morning with a cup of freshly brewed coffee listening to the birds and watching the butterflies and bees  as they take advantage of the nectar you have kindly supplied for them.  So go for it – give it a try.  There is still a little of the summer left and then of course there’s always next summer to prepare for.  Enjoy!

So should you decide to have a green roof which will you go for?  Wildflowers of Sedum?  Which green roof will be the most bio-diverse?  A tricky question you might say, given that both are accepted as being ecologically friendly.

This year, it was decided to put the theory to the test.  What was needed was an Entomology survey.  Entomology being the study of insects.

In June and July this year two surveys were carried out on two very different roofs, one wildflower and one sedum.  The results speak for themselves really.

There’s nothing more boring  than looking out of a hotel window at a grey tarmac rooftop.  It is certainly less than ideal and definitely not inspiring.  At the recently completed Holiday Inn the words boring and uninspiring don’t form part of the equation. Boasting a flat roof several meters above ground level, guests are treated to a spectacular vision of glorious wildflowers and sapling trees.  Irrigated from beneath, it stays beautifully green the whole year round, whilst producing a succession of flowers attracting birds, butterflies, bees and hoverflies throughout the summer.

When we were asked to supply our Wildflower Meadow Turf for this project we were delighted. So many modern hotels fail to exploit the opportunity to blend in with the surrounding landscape whilst at the same time making a statement.  We  think you’ll agree that the wildflower meadow roof at the new Holiday Inn certainly ticks both those boxes.

Wildflower Meadow on the roof at the Holiday Inn Reading