CARR
The nature strip had seen better days. Kikuyu, the unremarkable carpet of suburbia, stretched neatly across the verge, its tentacles spilling out onto the footpath and into the road. Sitting on a prominent corner, the site copped a steady stream of rat-run traffic; commuters shaving minutes off their drive, blurring past a space that was as dull as it was ubiquitous. Yet, nestled between two creeks, this verge had the potential to be something more: a genuine fragment of place, stitched back into the landscape.
Using species endemic to its Ecological Vegetation Class, this redesign looks to revive the strip and make it genuinely natureful. A ribbon of Wahlenbergia communis and W. gracilis weaves through a medley of wallaby grass, kangaroo grass, and poas, their delicate blue flowers echoing the waterways that once shaped this land. A copse of Melaleuca parvistamenia will grow to shield pedestrians from the summer sun, whilst providing food and shelter for the many birds that call Merri-Bek home.
Plants were sourced from local indigenous nurseries, community growers’ groups, and grown from seed, to ensure the species specified remained as authentic to the pre-colonial landscape as possible.
Over time, what was once a perfectly forgettable roadside patch will transform into something rich with movement and meaning, habitat for local fauna, and a subtle yet striking tribute to what once was. No hard borders, no unnecessary embellishments – just a nature-strip garden that is raw and honest.