Are Green Roofs Worth It?
Are green roofs worth it – and are green walls actually… terrible? James and Joe discuss...
James pulls no punches on vertical planting, explaining why most green walls fail, why irrigation systems are their Achilles’ heel, and why a humble Virginia creeper might be the smartest choice you’ll ever make. Joe plays devil’s advocate, defending green walls as horticultural art rather than practical gardening – before both agree that maintenance is where the dream usually dies.
From there, things get serious (well, serious-ish).
Green roofs, however, are declared a resounding triumph. James argues that every flat roof in the country should be green – by law, citing biodiversity, insulation, cooling, habitat creation, and sheer joy when opening the bedroom blinds to a roof buzzing with bees.
There are stories of flamingos on London roof gardens, Zandra Rhodes’ exotic pots, rogue designers ignoring planning law, and a surprisingly educational trip through the history of turf roofing – plus a promise of a future deep-dive with green roof expert Kay Davies for those who want the technical stuff James and Joe gleefully avoid.
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This episode is sponsored by Kress, leaders in robotic lawnmowing and battery landscaping tools. Learn more here.
Hot news for pod lovers...
We are going on tour: true, it is very short tour at the moment to Rosara at Nicholsons Nurseries in West Oxfordshire. On March 10th we will be there recording a podcast and answering questions from a live audience. We would love you to be there and to be a part of the podcast.
Bring your best questions (remember, no dead plants or dull questions) and the most outstanding will get to take home one of our coveted green gnomes.
Ticket details are here: March 10th. 7:00pm. Tickets £30.00 but £25.00 to members of the Garden Collective. There will also be wine (chosen by Joe).
We are very excited at the idea of meeting fellow Garden Collective members. See you there.
The future
We will be recording the podcast live every fortnight specially for members of the Garden Collective. Half the pod will be on a theme (feel free to suggest anything you would like us to talk about) and the second half will be questions. Collective members can listen anytime after the livestream has finished.
The pod will also be available in the usual places (Spotify,Apple Podcasts or YouTube) a week later. If you want to be up with the groovy people then you need to join the Collective here.
About our hosts
James Alexander-Sinclair is a garden designer, writer and broadcaster. He is an RHS Vice-President and was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal for outstanding contribution to horticulture in 2022. He is the RHS Ambassador for Garden Design and a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers.
Joe Swift is a familiar face on television as a presenter of BBC TV’s Gardeners’ World and other gardening programmes. He is a garden designer, broadcaster, writer and design director of Modular.
