WSIU InFocus Video Player

Rooftop gardens, or “green roofs,” are growing in popularity. They're especially well-suited for growing produce in urban areas where large buildings with lots of rooftop space are in abundance. In addition to providing fresh local produce to urban environments, rooftop gardens also help to reduce heating and cooling costs, and both control water runoff and resulting water pollution.

In this segment, Margie Rehagan, manager of Plantscape Nursery in Herrin, Illinois, leads InFocus on a tour of the plant and vegetable research garden on the roof of the College of Agricultural Sciences building on the SIU Carbondale campus. Rehagen talks with Karen Midden, a Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil Science, and Agricultural Systems, and graduate student, Nick Wangelin, who discuss how the green roof works, the types of plant and soil systems used, and the data professors and students are collecting as they study the roof's ecosystem.