Brisbane has a facade of green – bushland which is great until you look closely and see the invasive weeds, parks which have trees and grass but lack the diversity and multiple layers of planting that are needed for small birds and other wildlife, and all those barren grass verges (aka native strips, footpaths) that [...]
The Politics of Gardening
The land is public so you need to consider and manage the reactions of neighbours and others affected. Verge gardens can be, but don’t have to be, food gardens. More important than the suggestion of individual plants are the general guidelines which allows you to choose your own plants that fit your location, soil, taste, [...]
The Brisbane City Council guidelines are at https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/plants-trees-and-gardens/verge-gardens What about trip hazards? A common trip hazard is border edges so your garden must be flush with the concrete path if you have one. The BCC permits organic mulch and I use a thin layer of mulch to protect the soil while waiting for the plants [...]
When I started this garden and looked around at options, there was talk about low maintenance, sustainability (a much misused word), permaculture, and even using a garden as an extension of the house – with massive outdoor kitchens. So much choice, opinion, and conflicting advice. What to do? Priorities The first thing to consider is [...]
There are lots of types of gardeners and many different reasons to garden. A garden can reflect your whole philosophy of life, whether you try to be in control or just go with the flow, whether you’re tidy or messy or somewhere in between, whether you tend to find your own way or are a [...]