I have been asked by one of my readers to post some progress photos on my verge garden that I started during Covid. Since my verge garden is pretty plain, even plainer than in the first year or two that I planted it out, I will extend this show-and-tell to another small patch of my front yard that I have been giving a makeover.

The verge garden has had some setbacks with several plants finding the conditions too harsh/cold/hot/wet/dry, etc. The central feature of my verge garden is the brittle gum (E. mannifera). Brittle gums are difficult trees to grow anything under, especially plants that come from Western Australia, which is on the other side of Australia from where I live. So, duh, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the outcome. So, I’ve found some plants that like to grow under brittle gums and they are going well. Let’s take a look.

I’m being hyper-critical. If I was to come across a patch like this under a brittle gum in the bush, I would be delighted. So I’m delighted. Still, six years is a long time to see results.

Keeping with the natural bush theme and planting of locally indigenous plants, I decided to hack out the kikuyu in the front yard. I’ve been working on this for three years now and I’ve only rehabilitated a few square metres. It is one thing to work to improve a patch of woodland that already has an understorey of native plants. Nature is a great artist and she guides the way. However, it is more challenging to create a grassy woodland understorey from scratch, especially without a plan. Voilà the current state of gardening play –

I started with a couple of existing tussocks of kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) and a few wallaby grasses that I began to work around, clearing the kikuyu and other weeds. The plan is to gradually push back the exotic grass.

Two years ago I planted out the area below. It is very grassy now. I love it.

Then I started on the following area last winter and the current spring.

I’m thinking of moving to my twilight home. You know, the one with less yard. No one appreciates this type of garden so when we sell the house, no doubt someone will scrap the native garden and replace it with viburnum hedges and whatever else is the current fad. In the meantime, I need something to do so I will keep improving biodiversity in my own yard. Every little bit helps, especially these days.

Do you have a project to keep you sane and leave the world a little better off? If not, perhaps start something, or plant something, small and watch it grow. I highly recommend it.

Take care, everyone.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.