It was a few months back when I noticed verge plantings popping up around my neighbourhood, Northgate Ward, Brisbane. Colourful, low-growing native plants were suddenly growing up around Council’s street trees. It prompted me to think differently about the empty piece of land in front of my house.

My verge is north facing and I have nice, red, iron rich soil – the perfect ingredients for growing stuff to help out our pollinators and creating a beautiful verge garden. Everybody creates their gardens a bit differently, but I decided it was worth improving the soil by laying down some soaked cardboard to help suppress lawn and weed regrowth, adding a layer of soil with a smattering of rock minerals, adding some homemade compost, and topping it off with some mulch. Then came my favourite part – putting in the plants!

Gratefully, the Brisbane City Council has a handy website informing you of the best native species to grow on your particular type of soil:

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/green-home-and-community/sustainable-gardening/types-of-soil-and-plants

I bought tubestock from a local native plant nursery as they have the best range and it helps keep costs down. It’s also no great loss if I lose a plant due to one reason or another. It is a verge after all.

And what does success look like?

It’s still early days, but once the plants start flowering and attracting local critters like blue-banded bees, chequered swallowtail butterflies and other pollinators, I’ll know that I’ve had a positive effect. Hopefully, not long after the pollinators move in, the small forest birds will follow.

But one of the best things about developing my new verge garden was the helpful advice I received from a neighbour and the encouragement she gave me as I was creating it. It really is a nice way to bring the community together.

This is part of the Banyo District Verge Garden Network