Driving through Melbourne’s suburban inner north, green grass lines the streets, the occasional street tree the only variation in the scenery. In Melbourne, we call them nature strips, but in other parts of Australia, they’re usually referred to as the verge. Nature strips are thought to have been introduced primarily for their supposed visual appeal. However, they also provide a safety buffer between cars and pedestrians and reduce stormwater volumes.

Unlike indigenous grasses, these lawns we see so often on our nature strips have not adapted to the local climate and offer nothing in the way of biodiversity. They are simply a consequence of the monotonous, civic pride of colonial Australia. Over the years, more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of native plants, with plantings popping up in parklands, backyards, schools and newly built suburbs. As this thinking becomes more mainstream, people are also seeing the untapped potential in their nature strips.

After 30 years in the nursery industry, Laurel Coad now works at Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary’s Indigenous Plant Nursery, located next to La Trobe University. Over the past 10 years, she has noticed a growing interest in native plants, specifically species indigenous to the local area.

“It’s a great place to work because you do feel like people are discovering the benefits of growing local species and native plants,” Coad tells upstart.

Whether to maximise their gardening space or contribute to biodiversity, people in Melbourne’s suburbs have begun reclaiming their nature strips with indigenous plants.

“A lot of people are realising that they can plant up their nature strips, and so we have a lot more customers all the time who are doing that,” Coad says.

The benefits of indigenous plants are plentiful; they create habitat, limit water usage and increase wildlife. They are suited to existing climate conditions, soil types and rainfall patterns.

On the other hand, mown exotic lawns, like those typically used on nature strips, haven’t evolved in the native ecosystem, and don’t contribute to biodiversity in the same way native plants do.

Whether bird or invertebrate, native species benefit our environment in a variety of ways, some through pollination, and others through dispersing seeds. Without habitats for these species, the natural order is disrupted.

Coad remembers when it was common for people to think indigenous plants were unappealing and difficult to maintain.

“The reality is that you can treat them like any other garden plant … you can choose things that are going to suit your particular situation,” she says.

Utilising a front nature strip is a great opportunity for those without a yard, living in apartments or experiencing other limitations to enjoy the benefits of gardening. It allows people to contribute to their public space, spend time outside and build community.

This was the case for Rachel Unicomb, who sought to improve the communal gardening opportunities at her unit in Reservoir. At the time, the only available garden space for her and her neighbours was overgrown and unused, providing residents with little opportunity to flex their green thumbs. With the support of her neighbours, Unicomb changed this and successfully revitalised the space.

“All it takes is one person to put the proposal forward,” she tells upstart.

Already confident in Unicomb’s vision and abilities after the success of the communal garden, no one objected when she proposed to plant up their shared nature strip. Now, both areas are home to a diversity of indigenous plants.

“People have got this perception that grass is the only thing that can be on your nature strip, and that’s really hard to change,” she says.

“I think grass is pointless.”

Before planting, Unicomb consulted with Darebin’s Gardens for Wildlife, who sent out a Garden Guide to assess her nature strip, provide advice and recommend plants that would best suit the space.

“The advice from that volunteer that came out helped steer me in the direction of how many plants I was going to need and what kind of plants,” she says.

Nature strips usually require some preparation before plants can be introduced, due to the often compact and poor-quality soil. Coad suggests preparing the area with compost or worm castings.

“You have to do a little bit of preparation before you plant in order to get a good result,” Coad says.

Unicomb’s preparation involved mulching the space to lay the groundwork for the plants.

“It’s mostly me and my partner that are kind of running it, but people have absolutely got involved,” she says. “When we did our big mulching day, several of the other people that live in the units here came out and helped us.”

The first day of planting saw several of Unicomb’s neighbours join forces to tidy the area of weeds and to plant the seedlings.

“People have been very supportive about the whole thing,” she says. “People really liked the idea, so that was really comforting to see.”

When fellow Reservoir local Robin Carducci moved to the area a few years ago, she planned for her entire garden, including her nature strip, to be blooming with indigenous plants.

“When it comes to nature strips, I don’t see why anybody has grass,” she tells upstart. “There are too many other things you can put in.”

Carducci loved seeing the native Australian bush on her hikes, and after replacing the grass in her previous house with tanbark during the millennium drought, she was excited to bring the native bush to her new home. Like all new things, not everyone may be a fan.

“I think it’s a good alternative, but people really don’t like it,” she says. “They either love it, or they hate it.”

Living near a school and church means her nature strip must endure constant foot traffic. Since its first rendition, her garden has evolved to include more access paths and tougher grasses.

For reasons like these, Coad recommends hardy ground covers, grasses and low-growing plants.

“They’re going to add a little bit more height and a little bit more colour, diversity and habitat to the area,” she says.

Nature strips are owned by the council, but residents are responsible for their general maintenance. Certain regulations apply, and though they vary from council to council, most revolve around not restricting the usage of the nature strip. This can include rules against tree planting, obstruction of sight lines, and prioritising safety and access to utility services.

Many councils have processes in place for those seeking to plant on their nature strips. Darebin Council’s includes applying for a planting permit.

As more people are becoming aware of the benefits of native plants, those already on board hope to see more indigenous nature strips around their neighbourhoods.

“You might find that you are very pleasantly surprised about how many people are actually on board with this concept,” Unicomb says. “They just needed somebody to suggest and lead the idea.”

Article: Angelina Giannis is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism/Politics) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on X at @AngelinaGiannis.

Cover photo: Supplied by Robin Carducci.