Do you have a verge garden?

[_Marley_]

Our nature strip always looks pretty ordinary, with plenty of weeds and annoying grass to mow. Just wondering how many Workshop members might have replaced theirs with a verge garden? Something like this would be amazing. I wouldn't mind if people came and took some of the produce - might help to meet new neighbours! But not sure if I would have to get the council's permission?

[Andy_Mann]

I'd love to see the idea take off, as promoted on Gardening Australia.

One of my hero Workshoppers @timjeffries, has an example of his public access front garden fence, it's not strictly on the nature strip, but close enough.

Jim's Front garden fence

[greygardener]

Check with your local council. Their website should be able to assist. Here's an example - https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/natural-environment/plants-trees-gardens/verge-gar...

[Andy_Mann]

@greygardener, I must admit that my first thought when finding this thread, was that of a food patch verge garden, but your link provides a humours insight to council attitudes, & requirements.

In our area, from the property boundary, to the roadside kerb, is council responsibility, & not to be messed with. Our council has planted trees for street appeal over the years, but have moved towards hiring contractors to mow their verges.

So what do we have now?

With all their expertise & good intentions, the lower branches intrude into pedestrian walkways, & motor traffic. As rate-payers, we're not allowed to touch them, but frustrated pedestrians, frustrated & arrogant contract ride-on mower workers, & inadvertantly the wheelie bin trucks, rip/tear off those lower branches.

The verge area between the council planted trees, have traditionally been lawned by, & maintained by proud home-owners.

Thing is now, homeowners don't have time to mow the verge, or they have the attitude that it's not their responsibility, so let the council look after it.

The result is that we have damaged verge trees, & unkempt, weedy verges which detract from the street appeal.

Some weeds survive by burying their seeds into passersby, which could be your pet(s), that is, if you walk them. No big deal you say, perhaps you'd be more sympathetic if you had to pay your veterinarian $1000 to remove the seed, & treat the infection.

Would the council feel obliged to relieve you of that massive bill, due to their procedures, & fiscal savings, or is it up to the pedestrian to track down the offending careless/lazy homeowner that brought upon you such an expensive trauma?

By the way, I'm not slagging on our council, I think they do an amazing job under the circumstances.

[greygardener]

I was a bit annoyed to get a rude notice from our council last week that a tree needed some chopping back because it was encroaching on the footpath. It was a two minute job to trim the branches but the letter they sent, complete with photos of the "offending" tree, must have taken ages to produce. What made it doubling annoying is that I'm often walking into tree branches from all the council-owned trees  on nature strips that are poorly maintained. Glass houses...  

[darylhewston]

@_Marley_When we planned our front yard, we planned and created a verge garden that has a variety of plants, including low level natives.  The idea was to cut down on the grass and to give the house a little more street appeal.  I have a photo somewhere and will post it.

[Jason]

It would be great to see a photo, thanks @darylhewston.

Jason