The Baileys Verge Awards: North Perth home in running to be crowned WA’s best verge

It’s a front garden buzzing with bees, clucking with chickens and possibly even hosting a bat.

But this isn’t a sprawling garden in rural WA, this is a pocket of wilderness in suburbia.

Such is the charm of this garden in North Perth that it’s now a finalist in the contest to crown be crowned the city’s best verge.

What once was a weed infested parking lot has been transformed into a native oasis out the front of Michael O’Kane’s home.

According to Mr O’Kane, his verge is “really buzzing” with insects and birdlife since they traded concrete for compost.

But it truly is a labour of love.

Mr O’Kane and his partner tend to their garden every morning and evening, racking up tens of hours of work a week, but say it brings nothing but joy to the couple.

“Both my husband and I came from gardening-mad families, the passion really runs in our blood,” he said.

“When we transformed the verge, we did it with a goal of getting more birds and more insects.

“Our garden is our relaxation, I find that time really melts away when we are out there.”

The North Perth verge includes a variety of planted species including a whole constellation of Western Australian natives, making the verge the place to be for local birds and insects.

“We have lots of wattlebirds, and honeyeaters that comes and drink the necter from the flowers, we also have a bee hives for native solitary bees and a resident motorbike frog,” Mr O’Kane said.

For improved soil quality, Mr O’Kane began composting their own chickens’ manure along with their own household scraps, and have added worm farms to the mix to finish the job.

“The soil health is remarkably better. It’s all wriggling with worms and other creepy crawlies - if you’re into that, which we are of course,” he said.

Winners of the Baileys competition to find Perth’s best verge will take home $10,000 cash.

The awards celebrate the people transforming suburban verges into greener, more biodiverse spaces that benefit both people and wildlife.

Three residents will also be awarded with a $5000 verge makeover.