Just saw this new product from Bee Thinking:
Anyone going to try it out? I am concerned about how water-tight it might be, how much watering it needs and how heavy it would be when full of plants and soil. Very interesting idea though, I have to admit I am very intrigued! 
$139 for a box with some sedum in it?
Daft!
I get your point, but think of Picassoā¦ Canvas cost $10, paint cost $10, knowing how cost $5 millionā¦ 
Good way to get rid of some money. Better to have a water tight and insulated roof than a flower box you have to maintain.
Cheers
Rob.
Dawn,
We must have all seen it the same day. Hmm. I think Iāll have to PASS on this great new idea ! Would be unique but down right heavy.
Ta ta but no Thankz ! Gerald
Thatās funny- just today I decided I would make a living roof for one of my hives- then this pops up. I was thinking to have an absolute minimum of substrate/soil to try and create a bonsai affect for whatever miniature hardy plants I decide to put on. You have to admit it will be pretty cool when a bee can fly out- up onto the roof- and collect some nectar from a little flower.
You could plant a Linden tree on topā¦or a moor of heather 
a little alpine meadow, with wild flowers and a bonsai cherry tree! I HAVE to do it now. That way the bees could sit on the cherry branches of an afternoon and sip cherry blossom nectar, taking in the sunset.
Lucky the roof on my new hive has twice the real estate for landscaping as a standard langstrothā¦ I call it 'the longstroth.
Yayā¦A person could live there
From reading other posts in the forum about water sourcesā¦ If Bees want to fly 20 - 50 feet from the hive out of the ācleansing zoneā before going thinking to forage, would this even work? Or are you just providing a nice place for Triumph, the insult comic bee to poop on?
Have you posted any pics of your new hive? Is this the one you posted images of plans/drawings for?
@kirsten Itās still virtual at this stage- I have been tweaking and retweaking the design - itās quite the Hive! - I think itās done- I have my final cut list- tomorrow I am I off to the timber yards- and next week- fingers crossed- all the parts will be cut.
hereās a sneak peak:
and another- perfect for a rooftop garden!
I think it would be a great insulator, butā¦ if it starts to leak water, it will get inside the hive and promote mold growth. Also with this I doubt any condensation or water could evaporate through the top, leaving humidity in the hive, back to mold. In Virginia, ants love to live in planters, and they would already be drawn to the smell of honey. During the winter, not much grows, so I would assume you would replace it with the previous roof you had? I would like to see if anyone else has this and what their responses are. I think some lavender and other kinds of small plants would be good up there. Also the weight would hold it down in winds.
I saw it also and filed it under silly gimmick. Canāt see what possible advantage it offers the bees or the beeks.
And the aesthetics of my hive roof never bothered me.
Beethinking has two sides; the really practical high quality products and the really charming marketable stuff. This seemed like a weird hybrid!
Itās looking good. Iām looking forward tophotos of your building process & of course final result with bees! 
What sort of plants are you thinking for the roof?
Sure, I was just wonderingā¦ It might be good to try some groundcovers, something like Dichondra repensā¦mosses would look lovely but they need & retain moisture, not good for hive. Canāt remember if youāre in SA or WA? both get pretty warm.
I am in SA. Yes we often get a week or two above 40C every day- and all indications are more of that to comeā¦ I was thinking- in the heat of summer- you could just let everything die on the roof- and leave the stubble. It would still offer extra insulation. The same way moss or lichen dry up in hot months- only to come back when the weather permits. Or I could set up a drip irrigation pretty easily- and I guess that may have a very nice cooling affectā¦ The way my roof is sloped and overhangs- with a properly prepared surface- moisture wonāt be an issue - the entire top would be completely sealed from whatās below. I would only have a soil/substrate a few cmās thick to avoid excess weight was well. Given that itās only one meter square- it wonāt require much work to trim/manage my micro plants.
Depending on species you choose to grow, you could use a growing medium which is much lighter than soils too. I think its an interesting idea.