It's an interesting concept for someone who LIKES living in a highrise, but just looking at the PHOTO makes me queasy about the height.

'Pup

Great idea! thanks for the article! Have you ever seen the "Global Gardener" video made with Bill Mollison? shows a wonderful roof garden in India, with watering through unbaked clay pots, and also a roof garden in California with herbs. Keeps the temperature down.

Our entire roof is covered in squash plants. The leaves provide shade and help keep the house cool. The squash feed us in the late autumn and winter. The house is earth sheltered.

The pictures of your homestead are amazing. Why doesn't the roof leak? Will it ever--and how would you fix it later?

We have 60 mil rubber...mostly one sheet, covering the entire roof and out beyond the sides 8 feet to create an umbrella.

It leaked by the chimney when I first built it, but we only had 10 mil plastic sheeting on, and I hadn't done a good job of flashing the chimney. That was two decades ago. No leaks since we replaced the plastic with rubber...and I'm certain that it will outlast a couple of generations.

It is a nice feeling to be tucked in like this. Regardless of the weather, it seems pretty much the same inside. Quiet and secure. Warm in winter, cool in summer.

Thanks for the compliment. Those photos are 10 years old.