Georges River Council has approved a Verge Garden Program that will allow residents and local businesses to plant gardens on the nature strip outside their property.
Council says the move “weeds out” some of the usual constraints around these spaces to allow keen gardeners, who live or operate a business near a suitable verge, to register in the program to start their own garden.
Georges River Council Mayor Nick Katris said, “We know our community values outdoor space, so Council is very pleased to launch our Verge Garden Program”.
“We look forward to seeing unique verge gardens around Georges River and we encourage all residents with a suitable verge to participate. We’ve made it easy for the community to get started.
Simply determine if your verge area is capable of hosting a garden that meets our simple guidelines, and register it. To ensure our program is inclusive, we’ve kept the registration free.
“Once you’ve registered, you can begin creating your verge garden – it’s as simple as that.”
Council has also developed resources such as ‘Tips for Creating a Successful Verge Garden’ and a ‘Guidelines Checklist’, which are available on Council’s website, to help interested people get started and participate in the program.
Verge gardens not only improve the aesthetics of neighbourhoods, but also enhance the local environment and biodiversity, Council said in a statement. The gardens will create corridors for wildlife, reduce carbon emissions, provide greater filtration of airflow and shade, and utilise natural runoff from rainwater, that would otherwise be wasted, it said.
For more information about the Verge Garden Program, visit: www.georgesriver.nsw.gov.au/verge-garden-program
