A JOINT effort involving various entities, including the Heart of Durban North, the Durban North Conservancy and Enviro Fixers Durban North, led to success at the eThekwini Municipality Verge Competition recently after they bagged second place in the Commercial Verge category.

The collaborative efforts of the flower beds at the upper end of Swapo Road (Broadway) have been on show for all to see and are maintained by a dedicated team of two gardeners as well as members of the Heart of Durban North.

Spokesperson for the collective, Ashleigh Rosenbaum, said the team is incredibly proud of the work that has been done over the past 10 months, since the organisation’s launch.

“The most exciting part is that our prize includes much-needed garden equipment for our precinct and a small JoJo tank which we hope we can use as a sustainable water source for our gardens and cleaning,” said Rosenbaum.

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Durban North resident and Enviro Fixers member, Jane Troughton, has been a key member of the planting and rejuvenation of more than 10 flower beds dotted around the Broadway business precinct.

She said she is ecstatic the municipality is recognising and promoting indigenous gardening, especially of water-wise, wildlife-attracting plants.

She added the verges on Swapo Road are particularly challenging to work on for many reasons.

“They are often surrounded by hard road and pavement, so they get extremely hot, and we have no access to water. People walk in them and throw their rubbish in them. This has informed the plant selection to be extremely hardy and water-wise. I also included a lot of spiky and thorny plants to deter entry.

“To ensure a vibrant palette, plants were also selected for a variety of leaf colour forms – red, grey, yellow and all shades of green. Plants were also chosen to ensure that something would be in flower all year round. The plants that meet this brief are all, of course, indigenous. In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, they add to the habitat for our wildlife and attract gorgeous birds and butterflies into our urban spaces.”

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