rooftop garden at Fairmont Royal York, Toronto

Business Objects designs industrial strength software for big companies; it provides the backbone for the new Zerofootprint calculator. They have 1,600 employees in a converted warehouse in Vancouver, and its tough to keep those programmers happy. It is not enough that they get a yoga room or kickboxing classes, now they are installing a vegetable garden on the roof.

According to the Globe and Mail, A landscaping team will build and shape the garden, but the company expects that staff will eventually take over the plots, which should help ease the stress of long days at the office. The company originally planned to install a herb garden inside the building. But that idea wilted when planners realized the office climate would probably kill most herbs. That's when garden advocates at the company started eyeing a patch of gravel outside the office's second floor.

"We had to [ask] the city to see if they would let us do it," said Bill Rinsma, director of worldwide real estate and facilities for Business Objects. "But they were quite receptive." We hope this catches on...::Globe and Mail

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