Stories and conversations are the way to bring about change.
You can list your gardens on the Shady Lanes website and tell your gardening story.
This is the listing for my nature strip.
It includes reasons why I started planting and some experiences and lessons along the way, a link to a list of all the plants, and some optional statistical information at the bottom.
The same applies to the directory – every new listing will combine with the others creating something bigger – providing lots of different ideas and stories about the many reasons people plant gardens instead of grass.
Groups and organisations can collaborate with Shady Lanes to have their own categories and build connections within their groups and across to other groups.
I am talking to several groups at the moment and the first one has just gone live.
This is the listing for my local ACF Community group – click through to have a look.
It includes information about the group and how to join with links to its webpage and social media pages.
The group also has its own category which means a list of all their member gardens (with their own group’s listing at the top).
You’ll see how all the pages link together and how an individual garden can be part of more than one group – just as we get involved with more than one group in our lives.
It’s all free but there are requirements
– For verge garden or nature strip listings: All planting must be legal and collaborative working with council and within council guidelines. Nature strips should ideally be mainly council street trees and predominantly native plant understory to support Councils’ moves to increase tree canopy and tackle urban heat islands.
– For community gardens and microforests etc: These must have planning permission or agreements with landowners.
– For collaborations – Groups must support the concept of Shady Lanes and promote it to their members
WHAT’S NEXT? You can register here to post listings and request a collaboration.