Corn growing on the roof

I expect to see a few things I’ve never seen before at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show but this one was a real surprise: corn growing on the roof.

This year’s show includes an emphasis on using edibles as ornamentals, and Seattle Urban Farm led the charge with a display that includes a chicken coop, a vegetable garden and a mini-orchard. And that corn growing on the roof. They also had a patch of strawberries growing on top of the chicken coop. Apparently, corn is shallow rooted enough this isn’t a complete fantasy. But what I don’t understand is, how do you keep the birds away? And who harvests it? It’s crazy, it’s garden theater, and I love it.