Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

All green: Go green to beat the heat.

Not if you opt for a porous green roof over your terrace. A live roof, woven in by fast growing creeper plants, like Manorangidam (Atrabotrys odaratissium) with its heady fragrance and pale blue flowers, the many varieties of fragrant jasmine, or the bright blue flowered Jackmanja (Morning Glory).

While Manorangidam sends out deep roots and requires to be rooted in proper soil on the ground, jasmine and Jackmanja can be grown from 20 litre capacity pots placed on the terrace. The soil mixture in the planter pot should contain two parts red earth, one part sand and one part manure.

Of course, don’t forget to water the plants everyday. Two litres of water (roughly two mugs of water) is all that each of these plants needs everyday.

The next thing to do is to direct the creepers to spread overhead. So, what you need to do is to make it grow along a single thread rope towards the grill or bamboo panthal you have set up.

While leading them up, trim the side branches so that they don’t become bushy. You can get these creepers to spread along your house’s side wall too, like a virtual green curtain and protect your house from the sun’s heat. Grow these creepers on the eastern and western walls, as these walls get the worst of the sun’s heat.

These creepers would be a ’green cap/curtain’ shielding your house from getting heated up, keep your indoor spaces cool, and save you a considerable amount by way of AC expenses.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail