06/11/2026
🌱 What if our nature strips became little community food gardens?
Have you ever thought about turning the verge in front of your home — that council-managed strip of land between the footpath and the road — into something a little more productive?
Imagine walking down your street and finding edible plants growing along the way. Herbs, leafy greens, fruit trees, berries and other useful plants that neighbours and passers-by could enjoy.
Now imagine if every household planted just a little bit of food out the front, where the community could access it.
One household might grow some herbs, another might have a few fruit trees, someone else could grow leafy greens or edible groundcovers. Individually, it might not seem like much. But across an entire street, it could add up to a surprising amount of fresh food.
We could make our neighbourhoods greener, more productive and more connected. We might even reduce some of our reliance on buying every bit of produce from the supermarket.
That's one of the things I love about permaculture: looking at ordinary spaces differently and finding ways they can give back.
Of course, we'd need to consider council guidelines, pedestrian access, visibility, underground services and suitable plants. But where it's allowed and done thoughtfully, why not make better use of the space?
So, here's my question: would you like to see edible plants and little food forests growing along the verges in your neighbourhood?
Would you plant a few yourself, or would you rather keep the nature strip as lawn?
I'm genuinely curious to hear what people think. 🌿
