I'm pretty curious about this concept of planting grass, shrubs, or whatnot on the roof. I've seen several shows about it (including a reference to it on the Greensburg Kansas show), but I'm still not sure how it works. What roof pitch is acceptable/workable? In a heavy downpour, how does water drain off of it? How can you prevent the plant roots and moisture from penetrating into your attic space? If there is a drought, how should you keep your roof green and alive? If there is a forest fire, does it make your home more vulnerable to ignition? What sort of maintenance level is required? I'll just tell you right now, I'm not mowing my roof!

Perhaps this sort of roof only works in the Northeast where it's green and wet all the time. Here in Texas, I imagine I'd have to water my roof several times a week just to keep it alive. Still, if there is a way to easily maintain and irrigate it, a green roof could be pretty neat. It would be way more interesting than your neighbor's plain old shingle roof. Take that, Joneses! Also, it would absorb the sun's rays and radiant heat, in turn saving you money on cooling costs. Not only that, but your roof would be using photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen -- a mini carbon dioxide scrubber right on your house. Take that, Carbon Footprint!