On the Verge

Taking it to the streets.

In a recent blog I looked at Guerrilla Gardening and how the movement actively tries to beautify our unused and neglected city spaces. Today I will take a look Verge Gardening and how local councils are helping residents take some ownership of their suburbs.

Verge Gardening is a more conventional (and totally legal) way to help design and maintain the nature strip outside your place, while beautifying your street and maybe making some gardening friends along the way.

If you're a lucky enough to have a nature strip outside your home, it usually consists of a street tree and some wood chip mulch, like below:

Unnatural nature strip.

Not an ideal situation, but slightly better than just grass (if you're lucky to have any with the drought that's griping Australia currently). Though there are a few councils being proactive to the way they look at nature strips and the role they can play in engagement and community pride.

In Sydney we are lucky to have a few councils actively encourage residents to take their love of gardening to the streets. It can be a win/win for the community and the council, the council can reduced management costs for nature strips and the community get some beautification. In my area, Inner West Council has developed the Sustainable Streets Program, while close by City of Sydney Council has the Footpath Gardening Policy

Council's who promote this type of programs will encourage participants to have well planned designs that address criteria (see links above for further detail) that produce a "safe" gardening space within the confines of the street verge, this is to alleviate any potential liability to pedestrians using the foot path or cars parking adjacent to these gardens.

Who would of thought, councils = red tape and rules? Yes I know, you were just about to run out side and dig up the nature strip and start planting - you ol' Guerrilla Gardener you! Just cool your heels, first there are a few things to consider before planting yous street verge.

What Lies Beneath?:

Most council programs will only allow a maximum of 300 millimetres depth when digging due to spacial constraints of foot paths and nearby infrastructure (pipes, cables, that wonderful NBN system, buried treasure etc). It is also a good idea to Dial Before You Dig and see what is actually below the ground before you going cutting the power off to your once friendly neighbours.

Love (as well as Cars, bikes & pedestrians) is all around:

When planting it's a great idea to take into account the use of the neighbouring footpath and curb (parking) and choose species that are easily contained (pruning or small growing), non obtrusive such as herbaceous perennials, grasses or succulent types. Using plants such as these will lower the chance of creating a trip hazard (god forbid people watching where they walk) and the likelihood of damage to cars as they park or opening doors (but more importantly, limiting any damage to the plants).

Which plant where?

So what plants should you consider? From the info above and depending on the specifications of your local council, water wise natives are a great start. It'll be easier to get the tick of approval from your local council and given the current water restrictions, easier to find these types of plants at your local nursery. Council nurseries (if yours has one) are are a great place to start too, as they have regular giveaways and stock local species endemic to the area you live in.

The use of herbs, fruit and vegetable's in verge planting projects isn't generally allowed, not because it's a terrible idea to grow your own but due to the possibility of soil contamination from run off from foot paths and streets. There are however many councils that provide locally funded or volunteer run community gardens where you can donate your time with the preparation and management of growing & harvesting these types of plants

Below is a (almost) fool proof list of species that will work well in a verge planting project:

* Stunning Shrubs

Westringia fruiticosa (Coastal Rosemary): Commonly found up and down the East Coast of Australia, this hugely popular landscaping staple is tough as old boots and won't take too much care once established. The straight species will get a bit taller, so smaller or compact species such as 'Zena' or 'Mundi' might suit a verge garden better.

Not such a (Warrior) Princess - Westringia fruiticosa 'Zena'

* Sunny Succulents

Carpobrotus glaucescens (Pig Face): This guy (or girl) is pretty tough. You may have seen it planted/growing in coastal areas, almost right down to the beach. Being a succulet, it stores a lot of moisture in it's flesh leaves (which are sort after by kangaroos and wallabies in time of drought). Towards the end of winter and into spring they'll reward you with bright pink/cerise flowers. Easy to propagate by cutting if you want to make some free plants.

Pretty Pig Face

Senecio serpens/S. mandraliscae (Blue Chalk Sticks): A pretty popular landscape plant due to it's hardiness but more so it's blue foliage and spreading habit. Senecio serpens tends to spread and get a bit more wiry with age (and if it's unkempt) whereas S. mandraliscae is a more tight, clump forming plant that is a bit neater with less care. The good thing about these (an other succulents mentioned below) is that they are easy to propagate from cuttings, so if your verge needs some extra's you can make free plants to fill up space/gaps.

S. serpens

S. mandraliscae

Aptenia cordifolia (Baby Sun Rose): Another fantastically easy to grow (and re-grow) succulent. It's glossy, heart shaped green leaves spread and fill in gaps with ease. It has a small pink flower that blooms from Spring to Autumn. If the flower looks familiar, you've probably seen one of it's many cousins as it is closely related to other pig-face succulents. There is also a variegated form (not always easy to come by) if you want to add a bit more colour to your colour palette.

'Baby Sun Rose'

* Grey Ground Covers and Great Grasses

Long time readers may have read some time ago that I have an affinity for grey leafed plants, new readers can check that edition here. But there is a good reason grey leaf plants work well in low maintenance gardens - they are usually tough as nails. Some great examples are:

Gazania tomentosa:
A landscape staple for decades, its striking grey foliage and bright yellow flowers have adorned roadside plantings for many years because it is tough. It's spreading habit is great for soil stabilisation, weed suppression and quick to fill in garden beds. It's downside is it has had the tendency to spread via seed. A newer, improved form was released a few years ago and is marketed as  being sterile (can't produce viable seed or hybridise with other Gazania's) plus the added bonus of having a double flower, making it a bit more bright.

Gazania 'Double Gold'

G. tomentosa

Chrysocephalum apiculatum/Helichrysum Yellow Buttons:
Another fairly popular plant in landscaping circles due to its foliage colour and interesting flower form and colour. These tough little guys do the trick in either native plantings or more ornamental settings. The straight for of Chrysocephalum  tends to be a bit more upright and open in habit, whereas 'Yellow Buttons' is lower crowing and more mat forming. Both do better in freer draining soils and in areas with less humidity. There is also an improved for called 'Silver & Gold' on the market. Cuttings are a little more tricky to take from these but it's well worth a try if you have had experience with native propagation.

'Yellow Buttons"

Chrysocephalum apiculatum

Dianella sp.
Speaking of landscape favourites, Dianella's have been used on mass for ages due to their spreading nature (from a rhizome - underground root structure that contains nodes where new leaves can emerge) and hardiness. Many native bees rely on the flowers for pollen for food and honey production. The downside to many of the 'straight' species of Dianella is that they tend to get tall & leggy and open. Much breeding has taken place over the last 10 years plus and has resulted in forms that are neater, have colour variation and clump better, creating fuller gardens for longer.

D. caerulea 'Cassa Blue'

Dianella caerulea

D. revoluta  'Revelation'

Lomandra sp.
Like the Dianella's above, designers and landscapers have had an affinity with using Lomandra in their projects forever (well maybe not that long). They are tough, the most common for L. longifolia can be found almost all over the eastern states, from inland bush to coastal plains. This form isn't ideal for verge plantings as it can grow too tall and be a little spiky for areas of foot traffic. Newer varieties such as 'Tanika', 'Verday' or 'Lime Tuff' would be better suited as they are smaller growing with a softer foliage and in the case of Tanika and Verday, a slightly weeping habit.

L. longifolia 'Verday'

L. longifolia x confertifolia ssp. pallida
'Lime Tuff'

L. longifolia 'Tanika'

There are many more options available than what has been outlined above. It is important to check with your local council about your rights and responsibilities and they are are great point of contact when starting a verge planting project of your own.

I hope this will inspire to you get involved with the community outside your house or apartment, hopefully you'll make a few new friends in your neighbourhood along the way - gardening is a great way to get outside and meet like minded people.