For the first time, Natasha and Donna are joining forces to offer a practical, low cost workshop created especially for Hepburn Shire residents.

Many people do not realise that the strip of land between their home and the street can become something more than mown grass. With care, observation and a clear understanding of local Council guidelines, a nature strip can become a small, generous garden that supports pollinators, softens the street, offers herbs, flowers, food and medicine, and contributes to local resilience.

At Little Cottage on a Hill, Natasha has spent the past few years transforming the western and northern verges into a living demonstration of what is possible within these constraints. Rather than speaking in theory, this workshop allows you to stand within a real example and see how the guidelines translate on the ground.

This 1.5 hour session is practical, local and designed to help you begin with confidence. You will be guided through how to interpret the guidelines in real life, and how to read your own nature strip in relation to light, slope, soil, water, exposure, access and ongoing maintenance.

At a time when many households are thinking more carefully about food, cost of living and community connection, even small garden spaces matter. A verge garden will not solve everything, but it can become part of a broader shift towards greener streets and shared local knowledge.

This workshop has been created as a generous community offering, grounded in the belief that small, well designed public facing gardens can make a meaningful difference.

The workshop includes

• Guided walk through the verge gardens at Little Cottage on a Hill

• Practical introduction to Hepburn Shire Council nature strip planting guidelines

• What the guidelines mean in real terms, including sightlines, access, services and maintenance

• How to read your own site, including light, slope, soil and local conditions

• Planting ideas across edibles, herbs, medicinal plants, flowers and resilient ornamentals

• Practical ways to start small and keep costs and maintenance manageable

• Soil care, mulch, watering and seasonal maintenance

• Time for questions and shared local learning

• Tea, coffee and biscuits

Who this is for

This workshop is for Hepburn Shire residents who are curious about planting their nature strip and want to understand how to do it responsibly.

It is suitable for complete beginners through to experienced gardeners looking to create a verge garden that is practical, resilient and aligned with local guidelines.

You do not need prior design or gardening experience, just curiosity, a willingness to observe your own site, and an interest in contributing to a greener neighbourhood.

Priority is given to Hepburn Shire residents, as the workshop is based on local Council guidelines.

Please note

This is an educational workshop designed to help you understand the guidelines and think clearly about your own site. Every nature strip is different, and each resident remains responsible for checking services, site conditions, permits where required, and ongoing maintenance.

What to bring

A notebook if you like taking notes.

You may also wish to read the Hepburn Shire Nature Strip Planting Guidelines beforehand.

Weather

This is an all weather workshop. Please bring suitable shoes and clothing for the conditions. In the case of severe weather, the session will be adjusted to ensure everyone remains safe and comfortable.

A collaboration grounded in community

Together, Natasha and Donna bring decades of experience across teaching, gardening, design and food growing. This workshop has been created as a way of sharing that knowledge generously and helping more residents feel confident to begin, safely and thoughtfully.

About Natasha

Natasha Morgan is an award winning landscape architect, educator, author and lifelong gardener based in Daylesford, Victoria. She has worked on some of Australia’s most significant public realm projects, including managing the design and construction of the Australian Garden at Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, and has taught landscape architecture at RMIT University and University of Melbourne.

She is the author of The Productive Garden Companion, a design led guide to creating gardens that are beautiful, useful and deeply connected to the way people live.

Natasha now lives and teaches from Little Cottage on a Hill, where her garden and verge plantings demonstrate how productive, waterwise, design driven gardening can be applied at an everyday scale.

About Donna

Donna Livermore is an experienced educator and food grower with a background in biology, permaculture, wildlife and conservation education.

She is passionate about food resilience and growing nutrient dense food, with experience across both small urban sites and larger regional gardens.

Donna’s work centres on helping people understand the connection between soil, plant, human and planetary health, and she shares this through her teaching and community engagement.

You can find Donna at: @agoodlifeinthe cityandtown