Verge Garden visit at Margate

As part of their Verge Gardens for Biodiversity initiative, Moreton Bay Council created three demonstration gardens to show suitable local native plants. Today we visited the garden at Margate.

In November, we visited the Moreton Bay Council demonstration garden at Brendale (story here) and today we checked out their garden at Sorrento Street, Margate.

This message painted on the kerb makes the garden and its purpose stand out.

Moreton Bay Council is encouraging residents to focus on planting local native plants for biodiversity and provide a haven for bees, lizards, birds, and other wildlife with their new Information Pack. Details of each garden and a plant list are on page 8 of the information pack.

This garden is much bigger than the one at Brendale. It runs the full length opposite house numbers 69 to 77. (see Google aerial view)

The long corridor view. Imagine streets like this as pollinator corridors - and such interesting places to walk. All council policies are different and Moreton Bay requires two metres by the kerb to be kept clear. Brisbane is less restrictive but you still need to ensure that you consider people getting out of parked cars or crossing from the road. Check which council area you are in, and follow your council’s guidelines.

There were several mounds of Goodenia ovata including this one by the tree.

Westringia and Hardenbergia doing well. The Hiberttia scandens a little limp from the heat but will likely recover.

Keeping access to the water meter clear.

Dianella (Blue Flax Lily Little Jess) is planted as a border along the front. We wondered whether that was to give a sense of neatness to appeal to residents, or perhaps to form a border as it grows to keep the grass back and reduce the maintenance needed. This garden is less than a year old.

The council has done well with the signage - two information signs like this on the fence as well as the two sections of painted kerbing.

Councils can only do so much

Unlike individual resident’s verge gardens, these gardens aren’t in front of homes. For that to happen, residents and community groups need to step up. Our ACF Community Brisbane Northside group encourages members to plant their own verge gardens and holds monthly verge visits to share ideas and informations, and to raise public awareness of what is possible.

When enough residents and community groups do that, those gardens will become connecting corridors between larger areas of parks, creeks, and bushland. They’ll also make our streets a lot cooler and more interesting to walk along.

You’ll find links to the verge garden policy and the information pack on the Moreton Bay Council website.

Casual Coffee

Afterwards, four of us went to The Old Corner Shop, just around the corner from Sorrento Street for some excellent coffee and conversation.

Verge gardens are public land, so if you missed this event, you can still visit any time.