Many home owners look at the verge space and see the potential to change the street appeal of their home. There are so many opportunities to put it to good use, either by planting with lawn substitute species or using it as a continuation of the front garden, selecting ground covers for the road edge.
Others see this space as the idea space to establish productive fruiting trees and who are willing to share produce with passers-by.
Before any changes are made to the verge area it’s a good idea to check the verge garden policy with the local council. Many councils are pro-active and have seized the opportunity to work with residents who want to beautify and improve their street appeal. If the verge is being retrofitted from lawn to garden bed areas, a simple landscape sketch plan may be all that’s required to receive the go ahead. It’s a good idea to include mature heights of plants intended to be planted. This will save the local council time as they don’t have to search varieties and demonstrates that you’ve done your research when it comes to selecting suitable varieties.
As a general guide and a starting point;
- Plants over 50cm in height are not permitted to be planted.
- If a tree is to be planted it must be under pruned to ensure the pedestrian visual line of sight isn’t impeded.
- Street trees must not interfere with overhead power lines.
- In the case of footpaths foliage mustn’t grow over the edge.
- Avoid planting spiny or varieties that are known to cause allergies.
It’s important to remember that this land remains the property of the local government jurisdiction and if they need to change or dig up the area for any reason they have the right to do so. Even though these rules seem daunting local councils are very keen to see homeowners and residents caring for and beautifying their verges and are more than willing to work with residents for the benefit of the area.
