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Premier Plantscapes LLC has received a national merit award from the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) for a recently installed green roof on the Bentley Building in Sandy Spring, MD.

Premier Plantscapes used a new technology called Aqualok, which allows the use of a wider palette of plants for green roofs unlike the traditional succulents. Aqualok is proprietary, patented growth matrix panels, made from recycled plastic, which provide a perfect growing medium for plants and require no soil, minimal water (watering cycles of 30 to 60 days, and beyond), and greatly reduced need for fertilizer.

The material was invented by Joe Byles, an aerospace engineer and Master Gardener who discovered an oxygen ratio in the product that was extremely beneficial for plants. Byles has used the material on green roofs around the country, including California where plants were exposed to temperatures over 100 degrees and the Santa Anna winds. “I knew when the plants continued to grow in these conditions that this was a great new technology,” Byles explains. The product also absorbs heat so it helps to lower energy costs and, additionally, it greatly reduces stormwater runoff.

In addition to providing a friendly growing environment for a wide array of plants, the material is also lightweight and easy to transport, eliminating the need for transporting loads of soil to roof tops as is current procedure. It also allows buildings, including historic buildings, without high load roof ratings to have a green roof. “Currently, green roofs need anywhere from half a foot to several feet of soil,” Byles explains. “This amount of soil can weigh from 20 pounds per square foot up to hundreds of pounds per square foot, making a green roof or general rooftop garden prohibitive for older buildings.” The use of Aqualok eliminates the weight concerns. Byles continues, “Also, plant material palettes have been limited. With this material, there’s a wide range of shrubs, including woody ornamentals; bedding plants, and turf that can be planted on rooftops.”

Aqualok is also being used for green walls, exterior gardens (plants can be grown on hard and paved surfaces), turf areas, vegetable gardens, hanging baskets, and interior plantscaping. While the expanded plastic medium absorbs water, engineered pores throughout it allow the roots of the plants to breathe, eliminating potential over-watering problems.

The application for green roofs is also very cost affordable to install and companies save considerable money over time in utility costs.

Patrick Cullen with Premier Plantscapes is now working on his third green roof in the Washington region. “The results with this new technology are amazing,” says Cullen. “With Aqualok, green roofs are now beautiful gardens with much more environmental efficiency and a pricing structure that allows everyone to turn their rooftop into a green roof.”