Gardens
Living in the city needn’t be a barrier to developing a green thumb.
When Adelaide was first planned, it was hugged by Park Lands and dotted with open gardens and green meeting spaces throughout the city and North Adelaide.
The City of Adelaide acknowledges the benefits of gardens - the role they play in bringing the community together and in providing a healthy lifestyle. Here are just some of the ways council support you in greening the urban landscape.
Nature strips gardens (also called verge gardens) are gardens that people establish in the strip of council land beside the footpath and in front of their property. It is an increasingly popular form of gardening.
Establishing and maintaining nature strips can be an excellent way of getting to know your neighbours, building a strong sense of community, and adding to the biodiversity and beauty of your street.
How do I get started?
Before you go ahead and start planting, you should first talk to the City of Adelaide, your neighbours, and – if you are renting – the property owner.
Do I need approval?
As the land owner, the City of Adelaide needs to assess and approve your proposal. We do this by way of a simple nature strip application form (form to be filled in by owner of the property, landlord or Strata Title – body corporate). In every application, we will consider:
- If there are any utilities under the verge that may be affected (such as gas, phone, water or electricity lines)
- If there is space for placement of bins and access to parked vehicles
- If there is a clear line of sight for pedestrians and traffic
- That there are no potential trip-hazards and
- The landscaped character of the area
What support can the City of Adelaide offer me?
Once approved, the City of Adelaide can help your project by:
- Assisting with design ideas and horticultural advice based on landscaping guidelines
- Supply and install initial plants, soil, mulch or new instant turf to kick-start your project
- Supplying conduit (PVC pipe) from the nature strip to the property boundary only, for irrigation
What do I have to do?
While the City of Adelaide is able to assist you, it’s important to realise you will have certain ongoing responsibilities.
These include:
- Connecting any irrigation necessary on the nature strip within two weeks of installation,
- Maintaining the plants, irrigation system, fertilising, mulching and if you have lawn, mowing it regularly.
- Replacement of plants due to natural attrition or vandalism and repairs to the irrigation system
Please note:
- Installation of synthetic turf is not permitted
- The City of Adelaide may return the nature strip to compacted rubble if it is not maintained to an acceptable standard.
For more information, contact:
Community gardens are places where people come together to grow fresh food, learn, relax and make new friends.
Some of the benefits of participating in community gardening:
- easy access to fresh, nutritious food
- a sense of achievement that comes through growing some of your own food needs
- making friends with people in the neighbourhood
- builds a sense of place and community
- learning the skills of gardening, shared decision making and cooperation, all of which are necessary to successful community gardens
- healthy outdoor exercise
- increase community pride
- improving the local environment
There are a number of community gardening initiatives across the city and North Adelaide you can be involved in.
Community Group |
Details |
Common Ground Community Garden |
Where: The Joinery, 111 Franklin St Adelaide The aim of the community garden is to create a garden oasis in the heart of the city. The garden is open to the public, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday: Table gardens for Common Ground tenants only |
Secateurs Community Garden Group |
Where: St Andrews Hospital (South Terrace)The Joinery, 111 Franklin St Adelaide Membership required. |
North Adelaide Community Centre and Library |
Community Garden Group Become a part of the community garden by maintaining the garden, joining programs that are associated with the garden, planting seeds or just pottering. No membership required. |
Park Terrace Community Garden |
Where: Park 27B – Northern Park Lands, opposite the North Adelaide Train station and community courts on Park Terrace This community garden is a place for likeminded people to share in the joys of growing vegetables, fruit, plants and connecting with others. It is a welcoming and inclusive space for people of all abilities, interests and backgrounds. Membership is required. orFacebook Group
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Walyu Yarta Community Garden Group |
Where: Veale Gardens, South Terrace (behind the rose gardens) Walyu Yarta Community Gardens have been operating in the South Park Lands for more than 10 years. The garden welcomes anyone wanting to join like-minded residents keen on growing vegetables, herbs and flowers in the beautiful setting of Veale Gardens. All gardening tools, encouragement and knowledge are available for anyone interested in joining community group. Gardeners are always there on Mondays and Thursdays 9.30am-12.30pm. For those who work during the week, meetings and working bees are on held on Sunday mornings. Membership required. Want to become a member or join the mailing list?
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Whitmore Square Community Verge Garden |
Where: North Western Verge of Whitmore Square This beautiful Verge Garden is a joint effort by the community and the City of Adelaide. The ground beds are being watered with reclaimed water and the raised Wicking Beds with mains water so food can be grown. Wicking Beds retain water in a reservoir beneath the soil, so, once established, plants need minimal watering. These are planted and maintained by the local community. Those growing herbs and vegetables invite you to help yourself to small amounts so that many can enjoy the produce – but please leave plenty for others, especially those who do most of the work. And please remember to wash produce before eating. Everyone can help by picking up litter and pulling out weeds along the footpath. Our combined contribution makes this Verge Garden look its best for the enjoyment of all. 8203 7801 Minor Works Building Community Centre
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Native gardens create a unique and vibrant, water efficient garden that conserves natives plants, attracts wildlife and contributes to a greener city environment.
City of Adelaide encourages the city community to develop their own native garden by providing information on local native plants, garden designs and places to buy local native plants. City of Adelaide also provides incentives to get you started.
Here are some tips to help you create a vibrant and sustainable native garden:
- Use local native plants grown from local seed sources. This provides habitat and help conserves Adelaide Plain’s original native vegetation.
- Use plants of different heights and flowering times. This attracts wildlife by improving habitat structure and maximising food availability (ie. native flowers and fruit).
- Provide extra habitat. Include water features, logs and rocks (from sustainable sources), leaf litter and bat/bird/possum boxes.
- Use less chemicals. Pesticides can have deadly effects on organisms other than those you wish to control (eg. Bees and caterpillars, which become beautiful butterflies).
- Use water responsibly. Local native plants have adapted to Adelaide’s climate, and generally use less water than introduced plants.
- Be a responsible pet owner. To protect wildlife, keep pets inside overnight.
Local native garden information folders are available from City of Adelaide Customer Centre.
Modern urban gardens incorporate more than just the soil in the front and backyard. Trends such as vertical gardens, and rooftop gardens (for apartments) allow those in even the smallest of allotments to become green thumbs.
Green roofs are landscaped rooftop gardens that can include planted areas for entertaining and domestic use. They give you privacy, security and can help reduce costs of living as they help keep the place cooler in summer and warmer in winter, reducing power costs. At the same time, they increase the air quality and reduce air temperature in summer, a win for the whole community. It’s no wonder then that they increase the market value of your property!
Importantly, green roofs can make an environmentally friendly contribution to your home, your neighbourhood and the city.
For more information you can refer to Water Sensitive SA green roofs & walls or our Adelaide Design Manual – Green Infrastructure Guidelines.
Need more information?
For more information please contact the Customer Centre, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday: