City of Vincent, Western Australia, is helping to beautify local streetscapes one verge at a time.
Vincent loves verges and values them as vital patches of open space, which is why it also allows play equipment and other imaginative uses of them for the community to enjoy.
Since its introduction in 2014 the City’s Adopt a Verge program has helped transform more than 740 turfed or weedy street verges into beautiful waterwise gardens.
By converting their verge into a native garden, neighbours and residents are greening the local streets, increasing and fostering local biodiversity and helping to reduce water usage.
Native plants require less fertilizer and are easier to maintain in our climate.
To participate, residents are invited to register their interest with the City of Vincent website. The City then performs the required earthworks on the verge (boxing out and levelling) and installs a thick layer of mulch.
Following the earthworks and mulching, it’s then up to the resident to plant up and maintain the verge.
To help get the garden established, the City also provides a voucher for 20 native tube stock plants which can be redeemed at one of the City’s biannual Local Native Plant Sales.
This year the City has helped transform 36 local verges through its Adopt a Verge program with a further 12 verges improved through its newly introduced Adopt a Verge ‘Fast Track’ program – which speeds up the process by getting residents to provide their own mulch.
Works on ‘Fast Track’ verges will usually occur within six weeks of receiving applications.
The City undertakes two rounds of Adopt a Verge each year, with one concluding in April and another in August.
The timing of the rounds is designed to coincide with one of the City’s Local Native Plant Sales, as well as to ensure earthworks are completed at a time that is
suitable for planting.
