helter skelter watering roof

[Andy Hamilton]

after a few beer last night and chatting to a fried that had come up from the south east about water shortages I came up with a bit of an invention idea. Now, I don't want to come across as some crack pot, I don't even know if this is fesable.

Basically imagine a roof that looks like a helter skelter, instead of the slide going around there is guttering, not any normal guttering. - this stuff iragates all the climbing plants plant that are planted on the slopes of the roof. through water presure when there is too much water in the guttering a valve opens up to allow the water to go into a butt at the side of the house. - The butt also has a solar powered pump so that the water can be pumped back up in times of drougt. Perhaps only kicking in when the solar panels are generating the right amount of electricity - ( which will also mean there is not enough rain).

Make any sense? could it work or should I leave the inventing to the inventors.

[Muddypause]

Why have the special guttering? The roof area will not be able to collect any more rain, so why not just let it rain straight onto the plants, instead of having to go round some guttering? Or have I missed the point you're making?

As it happens, I've just spent a couple of days with someone who has a green roof, although it is only planted with 'wild meadow' grasses, and things.
Apparently he put 10 tons on soil on the roof for it to grow on, and I guess that will hold quite a lot of water, but he still put in a normal gutter along the edge. It will be interesting to see just how much run-off there is. For dry periods, he's installed a leaky pipe irrigation system, and I believe he is planning on supplying that from a butt, somehow. Dunno if it's going to involve solar panels, though.

[Andy Hamilton]

I think we are talking about similar things really, I guess there is no real need for a fancy roof. I was just thinking to keep the plants watered without having to do anything. basically plant everything and just let it get on and do its thing then harvest when you need to.

[ina]

I think we are talking about similar things really, I guess there is no real need for a fancy roof. I was just thinking to keep the plants watered without having to do anything. basically plant everything and just let it get on and do its thing then harvest when you need to.

You'll need a ladder, though, for picking strawberries and peas...