Nature Strip Vegetation

For those of you who think that nature strips have got to be boring, this blog is for you.
The Gardening Australia episode on the 31st of March featured a fascinating segment on nature strip vegetation. Ordinary nature strips are just boring and I'm not the only person who holds this opinion. I've got a mate who's been growing Agapanthus on his nature strip and it's looking great. I have now become a firm believer in this concept.

Nature strip vegetation, like street trees, adds colour and dynamism to our streetscapes. Instead of uniform and boring green grass, we will be treated to the many seasonal displays of colour and variety that are provided by the numerous plant species available that can grow in the Melbourne area.

Agapanthus in particular is used very often as a nature strip plant because of its many aesthetic qualities. Due to it being evergreen it provides our streetscapes with its characteristic lustrous green foliage at all times of the year and when flowering the colour of our streetscapes is further enhanced.
I myself am also growing Agapanthus along with many other plants on my own nature strip. The colours and variety provided by these different plant species is in sheer contrast to the monotonous and endless continuation of green grass that characterises my neighbourhood and quite frankly the whole Melbourne area.

The non-aesthetic values of nature strip vegetation are also far reaching. Turf nature strips are high maintenance, requiring constant mowing and struggling to survive during times of drought. Their replacement by drought tolerant and low maintenance shrub plants would greatly reduce the maintenance and effort required by turf nature strips and would also significantly reduce the dying off of nature strips during times of drought.

Clearly nature strip vegetation has many benefits and no downsides for the community so why not give it a go on a grand scale? We have nothing to lose and everything to gain from nature strip vegetation.