My ever evolving verge garden has faced a number of challenges in the last 18 months. The weather has been temperamental – overly wet or overly dry. Consequently some plants have rotted and some have fried. I also have one of those eucalypts that are known for being allelopathic to plants growing underneath them. I have recently replaced some of the moisture-happy plants with more dry tolerant plants. Hence, it rained. Rather a lot. Unsurprisingly the plants that are doing best are the unobtrusive ones that are local to our area that can still be found hiding in some of our urban green spaces. What do you think? Is my verge looking more Australian bush-like?

In order of appearance below – The Glycine clandestina (Twining Glycine) has been a star performer in this rather harsh environment. It delicately weaves its way between sticks and leaves. It is so delicate and unobtrusive that the Brittle gum barely even notices that it is there. Another scrambler is Einadia nutans (Climbing Saltbush). It loves the sunny spot I found for it. I love how it is climbing its way through the Themeda triandra (Kangaroo grass). I bought three Bossiaea (possibly the prostrata variety) but only one has survived. It was too hot when I planted them or maybe they are difficult to get started? I hope it survives because I love the muted orange and olive tones among the meatier brown of the fallen leaf litter.

I fell in love with the Dichelachne crinita (Long-haired plume grass) growing down at our nearby park, so I planted some on the verge. It likes water so I sprinkle it from time to time but it seems reasonably adapted to both wet and dry conditions. I have also incorporated plantings of Wahlenbergia stricta (Tall Bluebell). My verge plantings will provide seed for our neighbourhood park restoration project.  

And finally, one last photo. We had a family of Superb Fairy Wrens visit us for the last year. This year they made it to our front yard. We have also seen them venture to the edge of the park. We hope that one day they will be just as comfortable in the small thicket of shrubs our landcare group is establishing for them there. Plant some dense shrub cover and native grasses, invite the insects in, and the little birds will come.

All the best for 2024, everyone. 

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

36 thoughts on “Undercover – The Verge Update”

  1. I think the garden is looking lovely. It’s growing into itself, Tracy, and settling down. Gardens like this are so pretty with so much to see. And the little Fairy Wren looks like she is blessing the garden. That has got to be good luck.

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  4. Looking good despite our alternating heavy rain and/or overly dry.

    The rockery garden between 2 hedges opposite my apartment building has had good results with the Purple Coral Pea, but not as good as the landscaped gardens at the top of my hilly road which receives more sun. This site https://weedsofmelbourne.org/ might offer some tiny native (weed?) flowers if you want some more colour.

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    1. Thanks for the resource, Vicki. There are only about half dozen native weeds on that list and one of them is the Einadia! Sacrilege. It’s a great source for exotic plant weed ID so I’ll definitely keep going back it.
      I’ve got three of the purple coral pea in the verge. My photos of it were terrible so I left them out. I was really happy that two flowered this year. My friend has one on her verge too. It is doing so much better. Hers is north facing which I thinks make a difference.

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