Husband digging up verge , as we speak !!!

As my space in the garden has just about come to a end , i have extended into the verge or naturestrip as i know it , i have already put some natives there , but maybe i can sneak in a couple of not so big teas , fantastic , now i can widen my search a bit ....... council look the other way please .......

Maree, go for it! I did exactly that in my old garden and the neighbors loved it. I’ve seen lots of beautiful set ups like that, where people let their gardens spill over, and it’s a joy to see and to walk through as a pedestrian. Not sure how council deals with that situation; nobody ever said anything to me. Could be a safety issue, if people trip and fall over branches or get caught by thorns?

Yes , you are right Jac , i have thought about safety so have planted in the middle of verge and left a strip of lawn each side and some lawn at the ends , going to need to find a fairly thornless bush i think though . Better than cars parked on the verge as a lot of neighbours do , cause the streets are so narrow .....

I never had a smooth rose; I guess that would really help in narrowing down that huge list of Teas.

If anyone watches Gardening Australia, Costa the new presenter has done the verge garden bit, looks good. From the start he said he had involved the local council, check with them Maree.

I have a smooth touch rose, I think it might be Smooth Romance, beside a path. It's OK, white blooms that unfortunately ball up when wet. Why does it always rain when the buds are just opening and looking their best? No fragrance but quite thornless.

Thanks Roseman , just sent them a email , their answer will be no , i would say , but who knows ....

I tried with my council and told them how, when, where and why I would like to plant on the nature strip. There answer was that I had to be so much distance from the footpath/ road. I had to leave room for people to walk and ride. The bushes couldn't be over 1 meter tall and no sharp edges that could catch or scratch anyone. That basically leaves me to grow thornless minatures....

Funny how council can be so precise when it comes to plants the people who actually have to live with them plant, but when it comes to their own practices, these dimensions seem to be ignored.

Just to play the Devil's Advocate here. I'll prefix my remarks by saying that life in a Council-taste world is to be sunk in a mire of mediocrity. So, no Council love here.

Moving on... I would be against any rose but the COMPLETELY thornless variety on a verge. It's about dogs, too, and having had a young Papillon blinded in one eye by a rose bush, I'd personally pass on roses along a walkway. Large dogs, no problem, but roses and the smaller inquisitive varieties - nope.

Sorry to hear about your little dog, Betsy, but good point to make. I’ve never seen the point of thornless roses; I mean it’s a rose, it’s supposed to have thorns, but can really see their usefulness here.

cows were in the lane this weekend and they ate my new dawn (aka thorns personified) that was overhanging into the 'verge'.. so you can't win.. i guess that is one less rose to prune

Yep , i think i'll give up on that idea , our council e-mailed me back saying they are the only ones to plant on the naturestrip , too late i've already planted three natives council ,about six months ago, ooppsss , but you are right ,roses probably arn't a good idea , thanks everyone .....

Poor little doggie Betsy , my mum had a thornless rose , she quite liked it , i've never had one though....

Ah NewD, irresistible to all creatures, that’s exactly what I’d do … another use for thornless roses?

The gov webpage has a list of all natives, including trees, shrubs, groundcovers, etc., that we’re supposed to plant to help our native animals. In QLD we can bring our rate notices to council offices and get vouchers for 2 (used to be 3 very tiny babies) of that list; and on that site is also a link to contact council, if we’re not happy with our nature strips. They’ll come out and plant something substantial, all work, stakes and mulching included.

Maree, if anybody ever says anything about your plants there, tell them you were inspired by Costa and missed the intro to that segment.

Our council , from what i can read is pretty backward when it comes to naturestrips , they will plant a tree for you , and i did request one and they did plant one , but it was the sickliest callistemon i've ever seen , we pulled it out and we planted some banksias and grevilleas . I've decided to plant some native groundcovers and bulbs in the space we've dug up , and if the council wants it out , they'll have to pull it out . In our street , middle class suburbia , so many residents park their cars on the naturestrips , which is illegal , and the council don't get into them.....

At least nobody will park their car on the nature strip outside your house once there is a nice garden in place. Your choices sound nice; would like to see a pic when it’s all done.

No worries Jac2 !!!