How to... grow a living roof

Roofing with plants is easier than you might think

Drought-resistant, requires little water and extremely attractive to butterflies - there are lots of good reasons to transform a bare shed roof into a living roof with sedum matting

● Make sure your structure is strong enough to support the growing mat (sedum matting can weigh up to 42kg a m when wet) and that the roofing felt of your structure is sound. Then add (or raise existing) fascia boards with lengths of treated, tanalised timber to keep your mat in place.

● Next, line the area with old carpet or geotextile (a specialist product more usually used in ponds) to protect the PVC or butyl liner, which will be the next layer.

● Cut the liner down so it fits your roof exactly - it will waterproof your roof, but water still needs to be able to drain away at the edges to prevent plants from water-logging and rot.

● Finally, carefully add your sedum matting and trim to size - there's no need to add fertiliser or topsoil as these plants live in very poor soil. Gorgeous!

● Visit www.enviromat.co.uk or www.greenroof.co.uk for information or to buy sedum matting.

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