Green on top, green inside

No, I’m not talking about the container in the back of my fridge that has been there since November. (That’s more purplish-white and fuzzy.) I’m talking about your home! You’ve heard of green roofs and living walls, and I’m sure you’ve thought, “Hey, that would be GREAT!… in my next home.” Not many homes – that I know of – are built with the idea of adding large expanses of growing green goodness on the roof and/or walls.

Well, a company in Brantford, Ontario, is one of many that is changing that. Elevated Landscape Technologies has a line of products to green up your walls and roof that seem to be designed to be very easily integrated into your existing home. Good stuff!

ELT has dedicated websites for each of their current product offerings. First up is ELT’s green roof systems. If you’re not familliar with the naming conventions for green roofs, you may be confused with “intensive” and “extensive”. Just remember that “extensive” is like spreading out – big, but thin – and “intensive” is deep. They not only offer both systems, but a hybrid of the two as well. There’s even a DIY installation option, where you can purchase pre-grown panels to install. Great stuff.

What I’m really excited about is their living wall product. I’ll admit that the allure may be due to the fact that it’s a modular system, and I just dig modular products. I don’t think I played with enough Lego as a kid – or as an adult, for that matter. Regardless, ELT’s living wall panels can be purchased as one, two, or three panel complete systems that come with a cedar frame and watering system. All you have to do is add soil and plants (they even give you ideas for what to plant – I’d love a panel of herbs, myself) and bingo, you’ve got indoor greenery that doesn’t take up windowsill space, and improves your indoor air quality to boot! I am saving my pennies for one of these systems to replace a very sad (if not dead) ficus tree in our foyer. Bring on the basil!

Apparently, ELT isn’t done designing yet. According to their new page they’re also working on wetland systems for natural wastewater treatment. (The green geek in me is going wild over this one!) Believe me, I’ll be following ELT’s progress for a while. (Perhaps even from the inside, if I’m fortunate.)

Drop on over to their website and have a look. They’ve got a lot going on over there, and a lot of good products to offer. Kudos, ELT!

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