Green Your Laneway
Do you live or work off a laneway? Are you interested in laneway greening? Anyone can improve their laneway for the benefit of everyone.
Many people in the central city don’t have traditional gardens but that doesn’t mean you can’t have any plants. There are many opportunities to green your home or business; you just need to know where to start.
Green Your Laneway is a guide to inform laneway communities on greening using planter boxes, wall creepers and green roofs and walls within their properties.
What can I green?
So if you are living in the city and don’t have a garden, where can you green?
In your private space you can green your balcony, rooftop, steps, window sills or walls.
This guide is intended for greening private space only. Any requests for greening public land need to be directed to Council.
What can I plant in my laneway garden?
It is worth doing some research into matching the right plants for your location. Factors to consider are: shade and wind tolerance, small root zones to grow well in pots or planter boxes, varieties that don’t create too much mess through leaf or seed drop, and species that have low allergenic qualities.
Contact your local nursery or one of the many on-line growers’ forums such as Sustainable Gardening Australia to discover the best plants for your situation.
Make sure you don’t plant any weeds by checking out the Victorian weeds register.
View City of Melbourne suggested plant species for laneways.
Have you considered maintenance?
The owner is responsible for maintaining a healthy roof garden, green wall or planter box. If your garden is viewable by the public then care should be taken so that it is not unsightly or a hazard. Maintenance of the garden will involve regular watering, fertilising, pruning and removal of litter.
Do I need permission for greening?
When considering growing gardens in apartment buildings or on common property, you will need to consider the Owners Corporations Act (2006) and the Melbourne Planning Scheme to determine if you need to obtain permission. View further details about greening permission.
Have you considered access and safety?
When greening walls or using planter boxes it is important to consider safety. If your greening has the potential to encroach on the public place, remember to maintain enough room for cars, people, prams, trucks, wheelchairs etc to get past.
Local laws state that,“A person must not allow any vegetation, building or thing to protrude from premises so as to obstruct or interfere with the passage of pedestrians or vehicular traffic in or on a public place.” (Local Law, Part 12: Miscellaneous General obstructions - 12.7)
Are you seeking funding?
With any greening project there is a cost involved. Whether it is greening communal walls, balconies or a shared rooftop garden the following is a list of grants that can be accessed to make your community project a reality:
- Australian Government - Dept of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
Caring for our Country - Community Action Grants
- Dept of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Climate Change Adaptation Program
- British Council
Big Green Idea
Further Information
For more information on this subject or to discuss greening on Council land please contact Gail Hall in our Urban Landscapes area on gail.hall@melbourne.vic.gov.au or phone 9658 8097.