People of ReWild – Matt

When and why did you start to ReWild your garden?

When we bought our house 4 years ago, I instantly eyed up the lawn on the verge for a potential native garden… it wasn’t long until the lawn had gone! There is far too much lawn in our suburbs and when you compare it to a planted landscape it offers virtually nothing in the way of habitat and diversity. When I look around my neighbourhood I see so much potential for our streets – if we can just let go of our obsession with lawns!!

On the Verge Perth is a landscaping business I began 12 months ago with the aim of inspiring others to rip up their lawns. Verges are shared spaces and can be used to express a common goal to restore some of the natural landscape lost to development while supporting our local flora and fauna. We aim to inspire people and show how they can make a big difference.

What do you love most about your ReWild garden?

My own verge garden now serves as an additional space out the front of our house that has its own atmosphere. I love spending time out there, seeing wildlife visit and plants come into flower. It’s also a great conversation starter – passers-by are often keen to ask about the garden, so I’ve gotten to know my local community better as a result.

What has been the main challenge in establishing a ReWild garden?

The climate is tough. You have to be on the ball with plant care during the establishment period, and soil preparation is key to providing plants with the resources they need when the heat is on! Also Couch grass is an absolute menace.

Tell us about your garden’s guests – what wildlife have you seen in your garden, including any new species since you started?

Lots of bees and other pollinators like moths, hoverflies and beetles. We’ve seen grasshoppers, and of course plenty of birds. Creating habitats for all these creatures and making a verge visually appealing for its owners and the public is something we love to do.

What are your top tips for someone starting a ReWild garden?

Understand your site – its microclimates and conditions that are changing throughout the seasons. Make a plan that considers the direction of the sun and importantly, create a healthy soil to plant into. Never hurts to talk to your plants either!

Visit the ReWild Perth website to discover resources to create your own wildlife habitat haven.

Interested in featuring in People of ReWild? Log in to your free ReWild Perth account and visit this page.

Partners

We acknowledge and appreciate the support of all our partners, supporters, funding bodies and sponsors.