One of our green roofs was featured on Channel 4’s ‘Grand Designs’. The programme followed the construction of two new homes, short-listed for the RIBA Future House of London competition. They were the result of a scheme specifically aimed at regenerating brownfield sites using environmentally sensitive design and construction. Our green roof made an important contribution by reinstating plants and habitat on the roof as well as providing many other environmental benefits.
Hampton Court Flower Show 2005, 2002
Two award winning gardens at Hampton Court 2005 used Nature MatŪ as a major feature of their design. The first by Nick Dexter, 'Perennial Evolution' awarded a silver medal, was inspired by the geological processes that sculpted our landscape. Nick used Nature MatŪ to cover great stone wedges to great effect, the colours beautifully complemented by the surrounding planting of Persicaria affinis 'Superba'. The second garden, voted best small garden in the show was 'Tom's Midnight Garden' by Alison Page, Rachel Prior and Toni Rae. Nature MatŪ was used to create the wonderful counterpane and pillow on Tom's bed and to cover the old grandfather clock.
Our main area of expertise is in the design, supply, installation and maintenance of lightweight roof planting systems. As well as being visually attractive, these systems have numerous environmental advantages. We are unique in this country with regard to roof planting in that:
Nature MatŪ was used by the garden designer Marney Hall in her lovely garden (which won an RHS Silver Gilt medal) at the Hampton Court Flower Show in July 2002. Marney combined driftwood, wild flowers and ceramics to create 'The Potter's Retreat' so-called because it represented a garden where a potter tries out new ideas. The potter's workshop covered with Nature MatŪ, was a central feature-
'Despite the proliferation of foliage, flower and fruit, what holds the eye is the extraordinary roof of green and red sedums, forming a thick mosaic of colour and texture.'
Evening Standard, 24th July 2002
For more information on how Nature MatŪ can be used as ground cover or decoratively in the garden click on Nature MatŪ on the menu.
The BBC interviewed Alun Tarr on the green roof we installed at the Highbury Recycling Centre in London. This was after Ken Livingston's statement on green roofs towards the end of 2004.The Greater London Authority (GLA) is campaigning for green roofs through mayoral policies and strategies (the London Plan, the Mayor's Biodiversity and Energy Strategy, and planning guidance on sustainable design and construction) and is encouraging the Government to establish practical ways of supporting living roofs across the UK.
Two exhibitors at the Chelsea flower show used Nature MatŪ in their show gardens in 2003. Mark Gregory used it to create a green roof on a small home office in his silver-gilt award winning Soho Garden. The living roof softens the roof line and looks wonderful but is also environmentally friendly, reducing energy expenditure by providing extra insulation in the winter and cooling in the summer, and is attractive to insects and birds.
Marney Hall used Nature MatŪ as ground cover combined with other plants and sculptures to create a 'coral reef'.
Mark Gregory's Home Office
Garden's Illustrated November 2002
Two men in Somerset are determined to transform our rooftops using high-tech, low-maintenance carpets of flowering plants. The benefits, as Caroline Foley discovers, are environmental as well as aesthetic'
Photograph by Gavin Kingcome.
Chris Beardshaw, presenter of BBC Gardener's World, extolled the virtues of green roofing not just as a garden fashion accessory but for its environmental benefits. In particular, he was impressed with the part it could play in managing water run off in urban areas and providing habitat for wildlife. However, first and foremost a gardener, he particularly liked Nature MatŪ and its application in the garden- not only for roofing but for ground cover under trees and on banks.
'..extensive systems are being designed by consultants Alun Tarr and John Williams, who previously worked at RHS Garden Wisley. They say '..The secret is to combine correct water retention, drainage and nutrient characteristics of the growing media with the right plants. Naturalistic planting schemes, using more than 200 species, form self-sustaining communities able to cope with conditions encountered on the roof.'
This roof on Saddleworth Moor near Manchester generated a lot of interest in the horticultural community. Planted in 1999, it quickly established itself despite the 'challenging' environment of the moors. Small sedum plug plants flourished to achieve 80% coverage of the roof within a year.
© 2006 Blackdown Horticultural Consultants
Street Ash Nursery, Combe St. Nicholas, Chard, Somerset, TA20 3HZ, UK.
Tel. +44 (0)1460 234582
Business hours 9.00 a.m.- 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Visits by appointment only.
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