A green roof over Fifi’s head

“The president’s pledge to help heal the environment will surely extend to the family pet,” says Stephanie Rubin, a Ventura designer of green-roof doghouses. This month, she drove her latest design to Kansas. From there, she says, musician Neil Young will drive it to the White House to promote his LincVolt car.

Native Maryland plants cover the roof of the doghouse. “Vegetated roofs clean the air, insulate buildings and offer rest stops for birds and butterflies,” Rubin says. Her doggie White House has “Summa Canum” (Latin for “top dog”) inscribed above the door. The wood is aromatic cedar from trees felled in a 1998 tornado. All paint, glue, caulk and waterproofing are eco-friendly, Rubin says.

-- Bettijane Levine