If you were ever in doubt that gardening was political, the issue of verge gardens should set you straight. Lurking in the undergrowth of the debate are issues of shared ownership and responsibility, (non-)conformity, environmental concerns, power relationships between councils and ratepayers, and class. Some even argue about what to call that area between your front property boundary and the road. Is it a verge, footpath, nature strip, or something else?
Brisbane verges, so-called nature strips, are public land yet residents are required to maintain them. They are usually either neat green turf or barren and weedy. Maintaining manicured turf uses water, fertiliser, weedkiller, poluting mowers and other tools, and isn’t the best way to spend your time. The neglected verges often harbour environmental weeds which are spread further by contract mowing.
In 2016, Brisbane City Council produced guidelines allowing residents to plant out their verges.
The Shady Lanes Project has a directory of verge garden policies from councils around Australia.
Attractive, compact, dense shrub with white flowers that attract small birds and native bees. This one is in almost full shade against the back fence under the Leptospermum – Wild May There are two in the front garden, one on the western side near the verge, and one on the eastern end of the verge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEnvG5m9vc4 [...]
Matthew Flinders: Supposed to grow less than 1 metre high. Red bottlebrush flowers attract small honey eating birds to your garden. Flowers are at their peak in late winter and spring but with some scattered flower throughout the year. Prune after flowering – flowers on new growth Where: – 3 planted on verge in 2020 [...]
Dianella berries (November 2018) on front verge. Rich purple berries follow delicate flowers. Bought as tubestock (3), Kumbartcho, December 2016. Planted on west side of tank. Bought as tubestock (30), Kumbartcho, December 2016. Planted on south side of verge. Dianella flowering September-October 2022. This is blue tongue territory. Sweet peas in foreground, Doryanthes excelsa – Gymea [...]
Tubestock from Kumbartcho Host plant for Large Dingy Skipper and Yellow-banded Dart Butterfly A shorter dianella- to 50cm tall Dark blue flowers and dark blue / purple berries try in the verge garden bed with the westringia in front of the postie path 1 December 2020 – didn’t survive 10 plants for mass planting along [...]
Bought as tubestock from Kumbartcho Nursery, December 2016. Planted in south-west corner. Very shaded so plant is quite leggy. Bought a second plant Kumbartcho Nursery, December 2019 for the verge. Shrub to 0.5 Metres High by 1 Metre across Aspect: Full Sun Soil/Conditions: Adaptable / Moist to Sandy Description: Dense Prostrate Habit Evergreen Perennial Grey-Green [...]
Suggested by a volunteer at Kumbartcho Nursery as a more local Myoporum than the finer leaved ones you buy in the shops, and a very hardy low-growing shrub for the front verge. Small white flowers in Autumn followed by berries. Full sun or semi-shade Grows to approx. 50cm with spread of 1 to 2 metres [...]
Westringia is a very hardy, versatile little shrub. You can let it grow wild or trim into neat balls. It’s an ideal plant for the nature strip. Westringia fruticosa has white flowers right through the year Westringia eremicola has slightly finer, greener leaves and purple/lilac flowers. Westringia just needs an occasional trim to keep a ball [...]
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, [...]
On Friday, our new street tree was installed in line with the blue dot by two friendly workmen from the BCC. They called it a “Lop Con” short for Lophostemon confertus (Queensland Brush Box), and it’s the same as the others in the street. One neighbour who is also missing a tree has already ordered [...]
With the street tree planted in late April, the cooler weather and recent rain meant that May was the month for completing Stage 3 of the verge. It is the largest part, between the concrete path and the kerb. The traffic calming means that I don’t have to worry about people alighting from parked cars [...]
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 [...]
The sunny side of the verge is starting to look more like a garden. The annuals – alyssum, nasturtiums and strawflowers are filling space while the tubestock natives are growing. The alyssum is flowering, attracting bees, keeping weeds down and making the mulch path look like a path – no hard borders are allowed under [...]
It’s two years since the main verge was planted out. The street tree is thriving. The westringia against the road are well establised. Myoporum (in the foreground right) seems to be indestructible and has tiny white flowers. Cuttings strike well. Pink and white cosmos have come up from seed and brightens the mid-winter garden. The [...]
In debates about the environment, urban planning and development, the need for greenspace is a bit of an accepted wisdom. “Protect our greenspace” is the one argument against a new development that nobody dares argue with. But what do people really mean when they talk about greenspace? Does everyone mean the same thing? Do they [...]
I was among those who was delighted when the BCC came out with their new policy allowing verge gardens in 2016. But there were also complaints from the edible verge movement that it didn’t include lots of edible foods in its suggested plants. The guidelines didn’t forbid edibles, it just didn’t push their barrow. I [...]
Our street has several street trees but for some reason there are gaps – and there’s a big gap on both sides of the street in front of our house. Did little trees die from neglect? Did someone remove them? Where they ever there? So, I phoned the Brisbane City Council call centre 3403 8888 [...]
