Encroaching on the nature strip

Why stick to gardening within your fence line? When I was planting my little lavender hedge, I couldn't help noticing how bare and drab it was on the verge. Most of it is compacted dolomite, which suppresses even the most tenacious of weeds, although someone at some point has planted a few daisies down the driveway end.


Over the last week, I got stuck into the beginnings of a verge-makeover. I have begun immediately adjacent to our fence by removing the dolomite, and adding a home-made mix of coir peat (dead-cheap), compost, a dash of manure and sand. This shot is from a halfway point, when the dolomite is gone but the new 'soil' only partially added. In a couple of weeks, once it's all settled in, and once this horrendous heat has subsided, I'm going to plant clumping native grasses by each post (perhaps Poa poiformis, Coastal Tussock Grass) and something small and creeping and grey-leaved in between (but what? A trip to the State Flora Nursery is in order!)


SP was fascinated by the coir peat, helping it to break apart in the water, my little gardener!

Next up will be greening the little bit of ground by the road. I'd like to put in mostly small indigenous plants (current daisies excepted, they may stay), something for the birds and the butterflies: grevillias, goodenias, correas (correas! Yay!), eremophilas, grasses...
I have to check with the council first, but I can't imagine they'd have a problem with what I would like to do.