Verge Garden Program
Our Verge Garden Program is designed to help support residents create streets lined with beautiful native gardens.
Sustainable verge gardens help provide an attractive and inviting streetscape, as well as a native habitat for birds and smaller wildlife. Waterwise native gardens provide a great low maintenance and waterwise alternative to lawn.
During the winter planting season, we offer residents a free Verge Makeover Starter Kit to help with the transition to a native verge garden. Over 100 residents redeemed a starter kit in this year's program, with many more transforming their verge.
You can create your own sustainable verge garden with our
Verge Makeover Guide and
Verge Greening Guidelines.
Verge Makeover Starter Kits are no longer available.
As part of the program, we're offering residents a free
Verge Makeover Starter Kits to help residents with the transition to a native verge garden.
Each kit contains:
- 20 pre-selected advanced WA natives,
- mulch,
- liquid soil conditioner, and
- a Native Verge Makeover Guide.
All the items in this kit have been chosen with our local area in mind. Our plant selection was based upon plants used within our local streetscape enhancements. We want to ensure that your garden will thrive and looks colourful all year round.
Residents receiving a Starter Kit will also be invited to a free
Verge Makeover Workshop.
Successful applicants can collect their Starter Kits from the City of Belmont Operations Centre on Saturday 1 June or Saturday 6 July. We'll confirm your collection date after your application has been submitted.
Starter Kit WA natives:
Common name: Cotton Heads
Scientific name: Conostylis candicans
Common name: Blue Moon
Scientific name: Dampiera linearis
Common name: Blueberry Lily
Scientific name: Dianella revoluta
Common name: Snake Bush
Scientific name: Hemiandra pungens
Common name: Running Postman
Scientific name: Kennedia prostrata
Common name: Silver Cushion Bush
Scientific name: Leucophyta brownii
Common name: Morning Iris
Scientific name: Orthrosanthus laxus
Terms and Conditions
Consolidated Local Law 2020
It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure the verge garden complies with the Consolidated Local Law 2020. The verge garden must provide a safe environment, this includes not obstructing vehicle or pedestrian access, or sightlines. A copy of the Verge Greening Guidelines can be found on the City’s Website.
Underground Services
Participant must conduct an Dial Before You Dig Enquiry for undertaking any verge works. Any development must ensure that no damage or obstruction is taken to existing services. Service providers may cause disturbance to the verge garden, and reinstatements are the responsibility of resident.
Verge Trees
Participants must not plant a tree within the verge garden. The City is responsible for the planting, removal and maintenance of all street trees. Care will be taken to prevent damage to the garden during the pruning and maintenance of these trees. However, if damage occurs during this event, it is the responsibility of the resident reinstate the verge garden.
Resident Responsibility
A verge garden created is the sole responsibility of the resident and must comply with the following:
- All planting and development complies with the City’s Verge Greening Guidelines and is maintained ensuring plants are kept and of reasonable health, and not overgrown with weeds.
- Remove the verge garden if it is not cared for, at the City’s request.
Residents should also follow the
Verge Greening Guidelines established by the City.
As part of our Verge Greening Guidelines, you need to contact your utility providers or 'Before You Dig Australia' to confirm your verge upgrade will not impact any existing infrastructure (water pipes, gas lines etc).
As well as protecting our shared infrastructure, this will make sure it's safe for you to dig on the verge and your new native garden won't be disrupted.
You can make a free enquiry with
Before You Dig Australia via their website, or by calling 03 8877 6600 for support. Results typically arrive within minutes, but you should allow up to two business days.
Sustainable Verge Garden Competition
Nominations for the Sustainable Verge Garden Competition have now closed. Winners will be announced in December.
We want to recognise the hard work of our residents and celebrate the success of the program's first year with a City-wide verge garden competition.
You can nominate your own verge garden, or another property located in the City of Belmont. The entries will be judged across three categories to highlight the many benefits a sustainable verge garden can bring.
There’s a number of great prizes to be won just by submitting images of your beautiful sustainable verge garden!
Categories and prizes
- Best biodiverse verge garden | $250 prize
- Best waterwise verge garden | $250 prize
- Best presentation verge garden | $250 prize
- Best Overall Verge Garden | $500 prize
Please ensure to read the terms and conditions prior to submitting a nomination:
- Entry to the competition is open to residents of the City of Belmont over 18 years old. Staff and Elected Members and their households are ineligible from entering this competition.
- Nominations can be made online using the competition form or a hard copy submitted to the Civic Centre at 215 Wright Street, Cloverdale WA 6105.
- Entry to the competition opens from Monday 21 October 2024 to Sunday 10 November 2024.
- The judges will assess nomination based on the compliance with the nomination validity.
- Competition judging will occur between 11 and 30 November. Winners will be notified by email or phone, as provided on their entry form. All decisions by the City regarding the awarding of prizes is final.
All nominations must comply with the below validation requirements in order to be eligible
- The verge garden must be located in the area between the road and the boundary to the residential property.
- Entries must comply with the City of Belmont’s Verge Greening Guidelines.
- Nominations must include at least three photographs from different angles of the verge garden.
- All verge gardens will be assessed on how well they demonstrate waterwise, biodiverse, and presentation values. Verges which show the highest value the individual categories will be chosen. The verge garden with the highest value in all categories will be awarded best overall.
- Nominations which received the Verge Garde Makeover Kit will be assessed against all three categories (waterwise, biodiversity, and presentation).
- Entrants cannot win more than one category
- The City may use the entrants first name, suburb and photographs, for public promotional purposes. The address and surname will be kept private.
- The City will take photographs of the finalists and or their verge gardens to use for promotional purposes outside this competition.
Best biodiverse verge garden | $250 prize
Biodiverse defines a garden which is designed to focus on local and WA species. These plants will provide habitat and food for native animals including insects, birds and reptiles.
Best waterwise verge garden | $250 prize
Waterwise defines a garden which is designed to use minimal water, low maintenance by using WA native waterwise plants which can be found in the Water Corporation’s online waterwise
plant directory.
Best presentation verge garden | $250 prize
Presentation defines a garden which has a well throughout design and has been maintained on a regular basis. These gardens may incorporate any species of plant but aim to have minimal fertiliser use.
Best Overall Verge Garden | $500 prize
Thank you for helping create a greener, healthier City!