A new movement is hoping to inspire Ballarat residents to get gardening on their nature strips.
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Amanda Collins and her family created a vegetable garden on the nature strip outside their home as a COVID-19 lockdown project.
She said the response from people in her neighbourhood had been positive, so she started a Facebook group to inspire others and share knowledge.
"It is about growing food to connect with our neighbours," Ms Collins said.
"I have met so many people. The kids come along and ask mum to have some parsley or grab a snow pea."
There is definitely potential for more people to have gardens like this.
- Amanda Collins, verge gardener
Ms Collins said her teenage children helped set up four raised garden beds along the nature strip and plant them with vegetables including broccoli, rhubarb, rainbow chard, artichoke and lettuce.
They have also planted a small almond and olive tree.
Ms Collins said the application process with City of Ballarat to alter their nature strip was simple and cost $25.
City of Ballarat revised its Nature Strip Alteration Policy in early 2019 to streamline the application process and make it easier for residents to meet requirements.
More than 125 people have joined the new On The Verge Ballarat Facebook group since Ms Collins started the page in September.
People have shared photos of their own verge gardens and others have asked questions about how to set one up.
See more photos below
Ms Collins said raised beds were easy and useful to ensure pathways and gutters remained clear.
She said her family created their raised beds by removing the top layer of grass, putting down some cardboard and filling them with soil.
"There is definitely potential for more people to have gardens like this," she said.
"It is growing momentum.... Can you imagine? Look at all this space that is not being used."
In the spirit of sharing, Ms Collins has also started a cup exchange, where people can drop off their coffee cups for her to fill with a seedling people can pick up for their own garden as they walk by.
"It is a sharing thing," she said.
"We got a beautiful note this week from someone saying they love what we have done and it is fantastic for the local neighbourhood.
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"That makes you feel really good."
As owner of business Backyard Beekeeping Ballarat, Ms Collins also focuses on planting for bees and for food security.
She said she participated in an edible cities webinar last week and guest speakers were strongly supportive of creating edible communities to be resilient in food supply.