Mequon Nature Preserve Field Guide
PieperPower Education Center: 8
The Mequon Nature Preserve’s “green” (and pink and yellow) roof.
Parts of the roof are green (and red and yellow and pink) because they have plants growing on them! Green roofs are also called living roofs and eco-roofs. They can be elaborate and require high maintenance, like a roof-top garden or a mini-park, with large plants and lots of soil. Or, like this one, they can be very simple.
Copyright ©2010 Mequon Nature Preserve 8200 W. County Line Road Mequon, WI 53097
Preparing the roof
Getting ready for a green roof (note the shadows of the pergola on the side of the building).
The roof of the PieperPower Education Center was prepared with a waterproof liner and a “lip” at the bottom edge of the roof. Then “Green Paks,” bags of soil, were laid side by side on the roof and then planted with sedum. The “lip” prevents the Green-Pak bags from sliding off. Sedum is an easy plant to grow. It can put up with dry spells, doesn’t need mowing, and rarely needs weeding or fertilizing.