(12/7/2018) Residents loving Freo's free mulch

Residents across Fremantle have been taking delivery of free mulch courtesy of the City of Fremantle’s Verge Preparation Assistance Scheme.

The scheme is part of the City’s policy to encourage residents to convert their verge into lush green garden.

The City assists eligible residents to prepare their verge by removing soil, grass and vegetation and delivering free mulch, which is recycled from the City’s tree pruning program.

Applications for the scheme are called for every autumn, with priority given to Seniors Card or Health Care Card holders.

Beaconsfield residents Pat and Jim Meckelburg had their verge prepared and mulch delivered late last month.

Mrs Meckelburg said it was remarkable the service was provided by the City for free.

“We’ll probably sit out here in the winter time to get the sun, have cups of tea with the neighbours and things like that, and we hope to have a portable pizza oven so we’ll host a pizza evening or something like that,” she said.

 “We lived in South Perth for over 30 years and didn’t get anything like this.”

Establishing more verge gardens is a key element of the City of Fremantle’s One Planet strategy, while the Greening Fremantle: Strategy 2020 has targets to develop linkages to help native animals move between the city’s green spaces.

Verge gardens are encouraged because they beautify the street, use less water, help reduce the urban heat island effect and provide a home for native wildlife.

In addition to the Verge Preparation Assistance Scheme, the City has prepared an information booklet with advice on landscaping and planting a verge garden, offers subsidies on native plants and has free mulch available for collection from the depot.

Find out more about our verge garden program on the trees and verges page on our website.

Music in this video by Bensound.