Yarra City Council's Street Garden Program is a way in which you can help brighten up your front nature strips, increase greenery and support biodiversity across our City.
We've been providing free native plants and mulch to help residents turn dull patches into attractive plant plots.
What is a street garden?
A street garden is any non-edible community planting in Council-managed streetscapes. These gardens are supported by Council and cared for by the community.
Examples of street gardens include planting within the lawn nature strip in front of your house or planting within an existing tree plot.
Transforming a dirt pile and connecting with neighbours
Richmond's Greg McLean registered for the Street Garden Program in October. He was quickly able to transform what was "a pile of dirt and about three blades of grass" outside his Highett Street home.
Greg said his application was quickly approved and he was able to collect some free mulch from Council's recycling centre in Clifton Hill, along with planting advice from team members.
Council also allocated him 50 free tube stock of native plants from the Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-op in Fairfield, and he was able to create his new garden bed in the space of one afternoon on a weekend.
"It's such a huge improvement from before… my three-year-old daughter absolutely loved it, and was very keen to help plant and water," he said.
Greg said the best part about creating his street garden was interactions and connections he formed with neighbours and onlookers.
"As people were walking along, they were really interested in what we are doing," he said. "And I've had more interaction with my neighbours than I've had in my entire time living here, just through this.
"Everything has been so well organised and the outcomes we've enjoyed have been just terrific."
Get involved
If you would like to create your own street garden, the process to register is easy!
Simply head to our Street Gardens page and fill out the questionnaire, and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your plans further.
If you have a space in your neighbourhood that's bigger than a nature strip or tree square, that needs a refresh or is looking unkept, contact Council on 9205 5555 or [email protected] and we will investigate what's possible.
