Even as we head into the height of spring, many of our inner city streets miss an abundance of bees, butterflies, and birds. The fickle cuckoo bees, painted Australian ladies, Superb Fairy Wrens and their ilk are often just as low-key as they should be playful.
As cities continue to expand, wildlife keeps coming out and there is now a growing motivation to change the situation – always by growing more plants.
Biodiversity site on Claus Street, South Yarra, two years after plantingattributed to him:Melbourne
But some plants are more beneficial to animals than others, and five years ago, the University of Melbourne and the City of Melbourne teamed up to deduce what plants might be most beneficial. What they settled on was the Bible. While many of our inner streets have trees and grass, there tends to be a gap when it comes to the space in between.
Urban ecologist and University of Melbourne professor Nick Williams says it’s the plants that populate these midpoints – native shrubs, perennials and grasses – that are “extremely important” to insects and small birds. This is supposed to be their refuge. It provides habitat and sustenance, and the more complex it is, the better.
beetle on eternal golden (/Xerochrysum bracteatum/)attributed to him:Melbourne
In what may be of interest to anyone wishing to welcome more wildlife into their gardens, Williams, along with others, including the university’s director of urban horticulture, John Rayner, have created a list of more than 100 species, most of which are native, that can help with Increase biodiversity in our city streets.
For this planting guide, available free online, they chose plants not only for their horticultural qualities and environmental tolerances but for the biodiversity benefits they provide. They choose plants with high nectar and pollen yields for bees, with larval food sources for native butterflies, and seeds and fruits for birds. They added grasses that birds use to make their nests, thorny shrubs in which they can hide and plants with elongated stems that can provide a home for solitary bees.
Australian lady drawn on a leafless daisy (/Brachyscome multifida/)
attributed to him:Melbourne
“It was a very new style,” Williams says. More novel, the City of Melbourne and the University of Melbourne actually began planting four inner city streets in an experiment to see what happens when leaf-cut chrysanthemums, tufted blue flowers, daisies, correas, ringed wallaby grass and other lower fare. Replacement of bitumen footpaths, covered center strips and natural lawn mowing strips.
Originally published at Melbourne News Vine
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