Author Archive

So Hot on the Roof Corn is Popping – Wildflowers & Food Crops Integrated

Temperatures may hit 110 F this weekend here in Jacksonville. They are always hotter on the roof and the plants show stress in the afternoon.  Catherine says ‘the roof is so alive in the morning’. Yet all in all the natives […]


Ceratina, Apidae, Bee ~ Another species arrives on the Green Roof

The Ceratina bee is closely related to the Carpenter Bee (see Catherine’s post about the BGC Carpenter Bee here) Halictid Bee, Ceratina spp. on the BGC Green Roof – Biodiversity Expanding Ceratina bee is also know as the small carpenter […]


Beautiful Monarch Finds the Breaking Ground Green Roof!

This morning, as I was enjoying  a quiet moment on our amazing green roof here in Jacksonville, FL, I was privileged to spy the beautiful Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) shown in the attached pictures. We had just had a long […]


Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly Enjoys Breaking Ground Green Roof

Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly (Erythemis simplicicollis) on Breaking Ground green roof The Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) has been seen enjoying the various grasses and flowers up on the Breaking Ground green roof in Jacksonville, FL. This colorful and energetic dragonfly is also […]


Green Roof Biodiversity support, Hyla cinerea, escaping Osteophilus septentronalis by occupying the rooftop

The American Green Tree Frog, Hyla cinerea, has found refuge on the Breaking Ground Green Roof, adopting the Green Roof okra plants. H. cinerea is under immense predatory pressure from the much larger brown Cuban Tree Frog, Osteophilus spp., especially […]


Green Roof, Obscure Bird Grasshopper, Schistocerca obscura

Schistocerca obscura, Obscure Bird Grasshopper, Breaking Ground Green Roof Biodiversity is building on the Breaking Ground Green Roof.  We first saw the appearance of honeybees, followed by other pollinators including moths, wasps, flies and lady bugs. Recently dragonfly have been […]


Rain! Rain! Now Let’s Collect It! Awesome St. Johns Riverkeeper Video!

Now that we have finally been getting some well-needed rain on the Breaking Ground green roof here in Jacksonville, FL, it’s a great time to mention that rainwater harvesting, or collecting rainwater overflow from our roofs, is a great thing […]


Eastern Carpenter Bee Finds Its Way to the Breaking Ground Green Roof

Xylocopa virginica. Eastern Carpenter Bee on Breaking Ground Green Roof Many gardeners mistake the Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) for a large bumble bee. Although both bees are large and colorful, they are only distantly related, both belonging to the large family […]


Beautiful, Agapostemon splendens, Green Metallic Bee (Sweet Bee) Visits BGC Green Roof

Jacksonville has seen torrid temperatures lately.  The hot dry and windy weather has allowed lightening strikes to turn into wildfires, covering much of the state in smoke and haze, driving many pollinators from the woods and away from their nests. […]


Butternut Squash

GreenRoof Vegetables

Corn, peas, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes and butternut squash are just a few of the edible plants found on the Breaking Ground Green Roof!  I believe roofs are the new frontier for agriculture in the State of Florida and in […]