A successful New York freelance gardener, Mary Catesby Halsey is the former manager of high-end boutique Hudson River Flowers. Currently, Mary Catesby Halsey focuses on gardening and landscaping services for corporate and private clients, often incorporating environmentally friendly techniques such as xeriscapes and green roofs into her designs.
An increasingly popular landscaping technique, particularly in urban areas such as New York City, green roofs hold ecological, practical, and aesthetic advantages. Green roofs are energy-friendly, as they filter the air and lower ambient temperature, requiring less energy to cool homes. This translates to a lower temperature throughout the surrounding vicinity, as well; green roofs can be effective in lowering citywide average temperatures as much as three degrees Celsius.
On a more practical level, green roofs improve a building’s sound insulation and can weather environmental forces such as rain and sun. Finally, green roofs add visual interest to a city’s skyline, while exposure to green spaces has been shown to reduce individuals’ stress levels and increase their sense of well-being.
