Exploring the opportunity of verge gardening in Bellingen Shire

A NEW Bellingen Shire Council policy allows urban residents to apply to “garden on the verge”.

The verge is the area between a private property boundary and the edge of a road, and is traditionally covered with grass.

Council’s new Verge Gardening Guidelines provide a framework for urban residents to start gardening on the verge.

Verge gardening provides a range of environmental and social benefits such as increasing habitat for native flora and fauna, absorbing rainwater, reducing run-off, extending biodiversity corridors, addressing climate change impacts, beautifying the streetscape, encouraging food growing and building community connections.

The guidelines outline the responsibilities of verge gardeners including consulting with neighbours, gaining approval from Council, checking for services, complying with design guidelines, selecting appropriate plants and maintaining the garden.

A list of recommended plants is provided including native grasses, groundcovers and shrubs.

Mayor Cr Steve Allan is excited about the opportunity for residents to come together to beautify local streets and improve the urban environment.

“Residents could create flower gardens to enhance the aesthetic of their street, native gardens to provide habitat for wildlife or edible gardens to increase food resilience,” said Mayor Allan.

“With so many creative residents and avid gardeners across this Shire I am eager to see what residents come up with.”

Council is encouraging residents to start chatting to their neighbours about possibilities.

Whole streets or neighbourhoods may like to get together to design a wildlife corridor along the verge, a pollinator strip or a productive food garden to share.