Gordon, if there was a prize awarded for the best lawn, yours should be it. WOW!

Those of us that have been raised far away from big cities don't realize the work it must take to be surrounded by green.

What a haven you have created among brick, concrete, and steel! I'm so impressed, I'm sending you an acorn

So, I'm going on and on to my husband about your roof top garden and being a retired builder, he's asking me ?'s I can answer. He's wondering about weight load and all that. How does the roof carry all the weight of the soil, etc., Even though you are in an area where roofs would be designed for snow load, the additional soil would be lots of weight and yet no problem. WOW!

Many thumbs up for your beautiful garden!

Vic, there are websites that will answer his questions... Imagine a green roof on your garden shed!

We would be all over that idea if we had a bit more rainfall!

Gordon- Wow!

HI Vic... Well thanks for the Acorn...and the prize awarding complement...
Let me first say... this s a professonal... don't try this at home...
For your husband.. well yes.. it likely pushes the limit.. I do try and keep it somewhat in bounds though...
1) most of the interior planters are made of 2" foam.. and have little weight compared to the 2 X green treated lumber I
had before I replaced them with foam...
2) all the superstructure of the sylight entrance to the garden is only foam..
3) OK... all of the planters that run across the long aspect of the garden... that's planters... weight of the soil.. fence
and trellis.. and the plants sit on the masonary bearing walls of the house... that's a 3-4 course wide wall... running
all the way down to the footings.. so there's no roof loading from this at all... that's everything along the far side of
the picture in the last photo with the city in the back ground..
4) Across the [ short aspect ] front and back of the garden.. these planters... soil . plants and trellis and .fencing
[ I'll include a better picture of this at the end of this post ] aren't on the roof at all either ... it's a 22' long box beam.
that's raised up above the roof with it's ends resting on the bearing walls... and the weight is on this wall.. none is on
the roof here either..
5) ok... lots of plants interior to this are put close to the edges of the roof joists to minimise the weight load... so they
really 1/2 sit on the roof... mostly weight on these are transfered right to the bearing walls whch these are against..
6) Runnng down the center of the roof.underneath. there's the hallway walls.. this wooden wall [ 3 X 4's ] runs
contnueously down to concrete footings in the basement ..
7) other 2 X 6 walls for dividing walls in my space are placed under the roof joists [ 3 X 10.. w/ effective length of 10' ]
and kick some weght to the floor below... not really a fully suported load.. but it s an additional relief of the roof load
transfered to the 10' effective joist length of the 3 X 10 josts of the floor below.. coupled with the 3 X 10 roof josts..
so it's almost like the roof has 3X 20 joists on a 10' span...
SO... I have done some structural work to make what is there work effortlessly
So he's a retired builder... that's an interesting concept.. I build also.. but my retirement program.. allows me to work up to and including the day I die.. but that day is compleatly optional .. oh.. yes.. there's years paying into the ponzi sceme of social security.. but I'd hate to think of retireing... Thank God I can still hoist myself about and do it with the 25 year old helpers.. I guess they do help more and more each year..
so behind the table.. and in the other pcture... everything behind the foam sectional is the box beam / planters fence.. that sit on the bearng walls.. and aren't on the roof in any manner.. any fence and trellis you see along with the planter n front of it isn't on the roof at all.. hope this is helpful to him

Gordon, thank you for your detailed description

Hank (dh) will read when he gets up from the barn. Retired from the work force but probably working more hours than when he was gainfully employed

Awesome photo's and I'm still SO IMPRESSED!

You're welcome for the Acorn

Gordon, thank you so much for posting those photos. This word is overused today, but it is certainly a true descriptor--AWESOME!

Gordon,
I really enjoyed your pictures, garden and description. So much needs to be taken into consideration for the sort of gardening you're doing. You're really good at it! Kind of reminds me of the Norwegian live grass roofs... but, yours is much prettier and interesting!

I'm just amazed at all the logistics of putting something that beautiful on a roof.

And then I think of getting -all that stuff- up there to tend them.

Gordon, I hope you have a freight elevator

Vic...MMMMM a freight elevator... that would be soooo nice.. the way of the world s that hoist it on my sholder.. and walk up 3 flights to my 4th floor home.. then if it's small... I take it up another flight on the circular stairway.. but most stuff on the roof goes up through a hatch.. which is done on a metal ladder whose rungs are a 1/2 " steel rod.. and quite verticle.. most of the big pots go up and down on the ladder.. sitting on my sholder.. I've become quite adapt at carryng a 100 pound pot with a tree in it up and down that way.. along with everything you see up there... usually one uses two hands to clmb such a ladder.. but I've a technique .. of sorts.. guess this is one reason I'm still the same weight I was in my 20's..
+ or - 5 lbs.
Aguane.. well.. thanks.. some of the european counteries have laws that requiire planting as much as the footprint of the building takes up..roof plantng helps mediate both heat and cold..extremes.. but for me it's totally about visuals.. and mood
Debra.. well Awesome was just the feelng I was looking to inspire.. along with... Hay.. I can do that too.. and
Gee.. how in the world did he do that.. up there.. and Oh.. guess it's not so bad here at all... like.. my roof surface gets up to 165*F on a hot day.. and the wind if there is any that day.. picks up the heat.. and blasts it about the plants
Passi... Crimson Tears

Beautiful Photos...

Now I'm even more impressed, shocked, WOWed to see what you do to get your beautiful garden. I have no words other than you totally freaking ROCK!

Gordon.
You need, or maybe any multi-story apartment building needs, a "dumb-waiter". Those pulley devices that lift *stuff* from one floor to another.

Aguane...
Well... tell me .. have you ever actually used a dumb water...
your recomendation gives ..me the thought you've never encountered one...
they are fine for a tray of food.. but tons of soil.. and long lumber is a bit diifficult.. and it's a two person job one to load and another to unload..
but you're rght.. in the city you sometimes encounter them.. and i had one in a lovely village apartment.. that had been made as a 5 story private house...

You're right Gordon.
I think the closest I've been to a dumb waiter was my friend's granny's house in Woodside CA. Old Italian villa. It worked for the purpose it was installed. Other than that the only time I've ever seen one may have been in a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie... Top Hat?

Maybe a freight elevator?

Trust me..if there were an easier way to do it Gordon would find it says Ginger waving HI GORDON

WOWSER I'm SO AWED by your pics Gordon I forgot what the team question was

edification: o ya about lawns. We started with all lawn, weeds and poor unluved trees. My goal is to be all garden with paths and I'm over half done.

Some of the paths in the back are grass for my dahliafeets and cuz it's my fav thing to lie on and nothing else smells like it when its cut. We still have a lawn in the front but we don't water it. It gets its bit of a drink when I water the trees and beds. We never have to cut it cuz it doesn't get enough water so stays semi-dormant. There will be no grass in the front when I'm finished.