Plants and your strata property – four ways to add greenery

Plants and your strata property - four ways to add greenery article header image

Four ways to add greenery to your strata property

With some clever planning and creative thinking, you can introduce more plants to your property to improve its appearance and sustainability

Did you know that regular exposure to nature can greatly benefit your physical and mental health? Nature has been linked to improved attention spans, lower stress levels, better mood, improvement to empathy levels and even reduced risk of psychiatric disorders.

While taking time out for a mountain hike or swimming in the ocean may not be feasible for many of us, there is one thing you can do to up your daily dose of nature in the comfort of your own home — grow plants in your property. Making these changes may help make a positive impact on both your health and the environment. It may even become a long-term hobby that reaps rewards of the flowering or edible variety.

For those living in community title schemes, strata plans, and owners corporations, many may assume gardening in strata in these properties is limited, but this isn’t the case. With a bit of creativity, you and your property neighbours can introduce eye-catching greenery to private and shared spaces.

Keep reading to learn about some easy ways to do this in community living settings.

Hoping to integrate more greenery inside your unit and throughout your common areas too? Here are four easy ways to introduce plants to a strata property:

  1. Invest in low maintenance indoor plants
  2. Grow some flowers or veggies on your balcony or private courtyard
  3. Start a kitchen herb garden
  4. Work with your strata property neighbours to build a communal garden

1. Invest in low maintenance indoor plants

It’s time to say hello to a more sustainable collection hobby. That’s right, not only are indoor plants pretty to look at, but many of them are great for the environment and your health.

When choosing indoor plants for your property, it’s important first to consider natural light levels and how much time you’re able to dedicate to maintenance. The good news is that many indoor plants are pretty low maintenance in nature. Also, many of them don’t need full sunlight all day long.

The following low-maintenance indoor plant may likely only require a little TLC to thrive in your property:

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Lucky bamboo

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Devil’s ivy

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Sago palms

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Spider plants

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Snake plants

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Monstera

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Red anthuriums

Many of these plants also have air-purifying qualities as a bonus. If you aren’t very comfortable with watering schedules, there’s no need to panic. Plenty of handy plant care apps such as Plantin can help you with this and send you reminders when you need to feed your new green friends. Paired with a pretty pot, some well-chosen plants may go a long way in transforming your home.

Best of all, there are rarely any by-laws or building rules that forbid indoor plants in private property, so you may be able to add greenery to your home without obtaining any approvals.

Indoor plants are also great for sprucing up common property areas like hallways and lobbies. While the plants listed previously are ideal for these areas, there is a catch. Individual owners cannot make changes to common property areas. This includes adding an indoor plant or two to hallways or lobbies. If you feel your common property areas could do with some indoor plants, it’s best to bring this up at your next committee meeting, general meeting or annual general meeting so that it can be put to a vote.

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2. Grow some flowers or veggies on your balcony or private courtyard

Does your unit or lot have a private balcony or courtyard? If so, you may be able to grow a little veggie or flower garden in these spaces, provided they receive plenty of natural light.

Before finalising your balcony or courtyard veggie or floral garden, it’s important to consult your by-laws or building rules to check this is permitted on your property. Also, most community-living properties do not allow owners or residents to make alterations that affect the property’s outside appearance. It’s important to make sure your greenery plans do not break your property’s rules.

Did you know that many vegetables can be grown from food scraps? This is an excellent way to reduce wastage, improve your home’s sustainability, save some hard-earned money and have a fresh supply of healthy vegetables at your fingertips all year round too.

Some veggies that can be grown from food scraps include:

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Spring onions

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Lettuce

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Carrots

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Beetroot

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Bok Choy

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Celery

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Sweet potato

Alternatively, you can visit your local garden centre or nursery for seasonal veggie seeds, seedlings and plants for your new veggie garden.

If you prefer pretty flower gardens, you could invest in some flowering plants that produce beautiful blooms that can be cut and arranged around your home. Courtyard and balcony-friendly flowing plants include:

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Flowering succulents

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Geraniums

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Zinnias

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Chrysanthemums

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Marigolds

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Bougainvillea

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Begonias

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Tulips

3. Start a kitchen herb garden

Integrating plants into your property may be handy for those who love cooking fresh, delicious meals at home. While fresh herbs are generally easily accessible at local supermarkets, they are often sold in large quantities. This may lead to wastage, especially if a recipe only calls for a small pinch of fresh herbs.

If your kitchen has a window that receives plenty of light, starting a small window herb garden may be a good option. This only may add a little colour and life to your kitchen, but you’ll also have the opportunity to easily access the herbs of your choice.

Herbs that may thrive in a kitchen window setting include:

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Mint

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Rosemary

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Basil

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Oregano

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Chives

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Parsley

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Thyme

If there are any other herbs you use regularly, it may be worth trying to grow them too.

4. Work with your strata property neighbours to build a communal garden

Do your property’s grounds have an unused area big enough for a vegetable patch? Or perhaps a rooftop terrace that can be converted into a garden? If so, you and your green-thumbed neighbours may be able to use the area to add more plants to your property—in the form of a communal garden.

A communal garden may increase the number of plants in your property and also improve its sustainability. It may also create the perfect opportunity to bond with your community and neighbours.

Don’t forget, your owners corporation may need to vote on major changes planned for common property areas before they can go ahead. This includes commonly owned grounds as well. Make sure you and your neighbours seek approval before commencing your community garden. It may also be wise to have a by-law or building rule that covers the use and maintenance of your new community garden. If you are in NSW and need help with this, we recommend getting in touch with a by-law or building rule specialist like Kemps Peterson Legal (NSW only).

 

Adding plants to your living space is a great way to improve its look and feel while getting more in touch with nature. You’ll also be improving your property’s sustainability and doing your bit for the environment too. So, put on your gardening gloves and let’s get cracking—it’s time to plant some greenery.

 

Stay informed and access our complete range of strata resources by signing up for our quarterly newsletter.  For NSW residents, our Kemps Petersons Legal team is at your service to assist with reviewing your by-laws. Or, one of our team members can assist you with a free assessment that carries no obligation.


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