GETTING OUR verge fix is not hard when so many people are embracing the idea, and the benefits are so numerous.
    As some remark, it makes you wonder why more people don’t ditch the lawn for a landscape that brings colour and diversity to what was once a plain and single species grass that contributes nothing but depletes natural resources and drains our time and energy for mainly cosmetic purposes.
    Here is a diverse range of stories to encourage and inspire.  The first one in this post is of particular interest.

Calls for simple roadside change after council workers spotted in expensive 2.5km act, Michael Dahlstrom, Environment Editor, Yahoo News, 27 January 2025. 
https://au.news.yahoo.com/calls-for-simple-roadside-change-after-council-workers-spotted-in-expensive-25km-act-024050766.html

MOWING GRASS along city nature strips is labour intensive and expensive for tax-payers, but a leading ecologist has a simple solution.

Mowing the grass around Aussie cities comes at a seriously big expense. For instance, Brisbane City Council will reportedly be spending an eye-watering $32 million this year to keep its grass cut low.

While the majority of the spending will be on public parks and natural places, there’s one area that experts believe could be overhauled to save the tax-payer’s dime — grassy nature strips. By replacing them with native plants, they believe councils and residents could be saving money and helping the environment, not just in one city, but across the nation.

Native bee expert Clancy Lester shared his thoughts after watching council workers use hand mowers to tackle a 2.5 km-long nature strip along a busy road in inner-city Melbourne recently. Speaking to Yahoo News on Monday he described the process of tirelessly cutting nature strips as a “waste of money and resources”.

But rather than feel frustrated or annoyed, instead he sees an opportunity.

“It makes me feel optimistic because there’s real potential for these sites,” he said. “​​These little green spaces that are sporadically laid out right across cities, could be converted into high-value biodiversity hot spots.”

Outback duo share ‘fantastic’ and free garden idea that promises to ‘repay’ Aussies, Sophie Coghill.
Sophie. Yahoo  News, 14 February 2025. 
Stephen Forrest, 72, and his grandson Tom are encouraging Aussies to make their backyard a little more wildlife friendly. Here’s how. 
https://au.news.yahoo.com/outback-duo-share-fantastic-and-free-garden-idea-that-promises-to-repay-aussies-220653443.html

In our nature-poor country, road verges are reservoirs for recovery, Ed Douglas. The Guardian, Tue 11 Feb 2025. 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/11/country-diary-nature-poor-country-road-verges-reservoirs-recovery

Gardener shares striking before-and-after photos after replacing part of lawn with low-maintenance plants: ‘This is so inspiring’ by Veronica Booth. The Cool Down, February 4, 2025. 
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-home/reddit-native-garden-lawns-vegetables/

Gardener creates stunning vision by transforming simple grass lawn: ‘This is my lawn goals’, by Jenny Allison.  The Cool Down, January 26, 2025. 
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-home/rewilded-lawn-grass-garden-wildflowers/

Aussies urged to adopt surprising garden advice after storms: ‘Resist the urge’, Joe Attanasio · Senior Reporter. Yahoo News, 30 January 2025. 
As it turns out, there’s more than one reason not to clean up fallen branches in the yard after wild weather, provided it’s safe to do so.

The Relaxed Gardening Trend That’s Replacing Formal Landscapes, by Rachael Green. House Digest, Jan 30, 2025. 
https://www.housedigest.com/1768911/natural-lawn-garden-front-yard-landscaping-trend/