Help beautify your community and build your own garden on the nature strip in front of your home. The Council-owned land in between the road and footpath, known as the nature strip or verge, can form an important part of your local area. Add colour and vibrancy to your street, encourage biodiversity and bring life to your community!
Benefits of Verge Gardens
- Creates vibrant and visually appealing neighbourhoods
- Improves human health and wellbeing by creating pleasant outdoor spaces
- Improves water efficiency, reduces stormwater run-off and increases rainwater infiltration
- Promotes biodiversity by providing habitat for plants and local wildlife
- Encourages neighbourhood interactions – bringing people outdoors to engage and learn from each other
- Provides shade and reduces the urban heat island effect
- Improves the economic value and liveability of our local areas
What should I remember when creating my verge garden?
- Safety first – ensure that you do not create any hazards for traffic or pedestrians while creating your garden make sure to ‘Dial Before You Dig’
- Follow Council’s Policies and all regulations on verge gardens
- Use soft landscaping - small or low growing shrubs, grasses and ground covers
- Choose the right plants for your space – consider the soil type and the amount of sunlight your plants will have to make sure that they thrive
- Prepare your soil properly
- Apply organic mulch
- Ensure that your garden remains well maintained after planting with at least 300mm clearance from both the curb and footpath
What should I avoid?
- Hard landscaping – Verge gardens should not include any hard landscaping features such as raised planting beds, ornaments or irrigation systems
- Fruits and vegetables – Due to contamination from traffic, pets and pests, fruits and vegetables are not recommended
- Noxious weeds – There is a number of invasive weed species that should be strictly avoided, for a list of plant species to avoid see the link below
- Trees or other plants that will grow above the Council’s 500mm height limit
Types of plants
- Recommended native plants (PDF, 74KB)
- Invasive species to avoid (PDF, 91KB)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a verge?
A verge, also known as a nature strip, is the small section of land located between the road and footpath in front of your house.
Can I grow fruits and vegetables in my verge garden?
No. Growing fruits or vegetables is not permitted on the verge area due to contamination from traffic, pets and pests.
Can I install fixed structures such as planting boxes, bollards or irrigation systems?
No hard landscaping or fixed structures are permitted in your verge garden as these can pose a hazard to pedestrians and vehicles.
Am I allowed to grow non-native species in my verge garden?
Yes. If plants are not listed as noxious weeds or invasive species, you are free to use exotic species in your verge garden.
Should I “Dial Before I Dig”?
Yes. While prospective verge gardeners are not encouraged to dig any deeper than 40cm during the creation of their gardens, utility services can easily be found (and damaged) at that depth. It is very important not to use mechanised digging equipment and make sure to contact “Dial Before You Dig”.
Will Council trim or maintain my verge garden?
No. You must take full responsibility for the pruning and maintenance of your new verge garden.
Can I apply mulch?
Yes. Use organic mulch in the creation of your verge gardens. This will assist in suppressing weed growth as well as improving water retention in the soil.
Am I allowed to plant trees on the verge?
No trees are to be planted on the nature strip area. Any plants grown on the verge must be maintained at a maximum height of 500mm. If you are hoping to plant a tree on your verge, please contact Council and we can discuss your options.
Can I remove trees or signs to make room for my verge garden?
No, you must not attempt to remove any trees, signage or other Council property while creating your verge garden.
I am a renter or live in an apartment block, can I create a garden on the nature strip outside my property?
Unfortunately, Council’s Verge Garden Program only applies to homeowners. If you are renting or live in an apartment block, you cannot plant a garden on your nature strip.
Where will I leave my bins?
When creating your verge garden, you must leave sufficient room to place 3 bins, 0.5 meters apart at the edge of the kerb. Bins must not be left on the footpath, road or in front of other properties. Ensure you leave at least 2m³ of clear space for your future Council Clean Up Collections. Council is not liable for any damage to verge gardens as part of its Waste Collection Services.
Council Policies and Resources
- Greening Australia’s handy workbook: Creating a Verge Garden (PDF, 8MB)
- Before You Dig (opens to external website)
- Nature Strip and Verge Mowing Guideline (PDF, 216KB)
- Verge Mowing Policy (PDF, 66KB)
Apply now
Complete and submit the Application Form and Council will contact you to discuss your application.
For more information
For assistance or more information on the Verge Gardens Program, call Council on 8757 9000.