Tag: Gardening

Waterwise Demonstration Garden

Lawns are often used in home gardens and public open spaces for amenity and aesthetic reasons, however, with a warming climate and the increasing need to conserve water and cool down our streets, many people are opting to transform their lawned areas into waterwise and biodiverse gardens.

Waterwise gardens have so many benefits. Waterwise and native gardens not only save water, reduce the urban heat island effect, provide habitat for local wildlife and improve biodiversity, but they also provide many physical and mental health and well-being benefits for the entire community.

The City aims to promote waterwise and native gardens and their benefits through its many waterwise initiatives.

Joondalup Administration Building Waterwise Demonstration Garden

The City of Joondalup installed a waterwise and biodiverse native garden out in front of the City’s Administration Building in July 2023. The project was proudly supported by the Water Corporation and designed by The Forever Project. 

The City of Joondalup Administration Building Waterwise Demonstration Garden

Growing local native plants

The front garden of the Administration Building was previously overgrown and required regular irrigation using groundwater. The exotic plant species were removed from the garden, but the native plants, such as the existing Silver Princess tree and mature Acorn Banksias, were retained. 

The garden bed was transformed into a living waterwise landscape full of local flora species and a habitat for wildlife. Over 200 new native species were planted, such as Ground Banksia, Native Pigface and Tar Bush. A new Jarrah tree was also planted in the garden to provide shade and increase the urban tree canopy. Using all locally native species meant that the plants were adapted to the local soil conditions and climate. 

The City encourages growing local native plants that suit your soil type. To find out soil type and discover local native plants that will thrive in your garden, visit our Growing Local Native Plants webpage.  

Habitat for wildlife

The garden’s existing limestone rocks were retained so that they could continue to provide a habitat for the lizards and birds that frequently visit the garden.  

Two gabion seats, filled with additional limestone rocks, were made and added to the garden. These seats not only entice visitors to sit and enjoy the garden but also provide additional protection to wildlife from the weather and predators.  

A bird bath was installed in the garden to provide a water source for wildlife and add visual amenities. Small native birds such as the Djidi Djidi (Willie Wagtail) and the Bandiny (New Holland Honeyeater) are frequently seen enjoying the garden and the habitat it provides for them. 

Visit our Protect our Wildlife resource to find out more ways to provide habitat and protection for wildlife. 

Residents watched as the Administration Building Waterwise Demonstration Garden transformed into a Waterwise and biodiverse garden.

Residents attended to watch the transformation while The Forever Project delivered a presentation on creating Waterwise native gardens. Attendees learned about soil improvements and techniques, waterwise native plants, weed management and garden maintenance tips for them to take home to their own gardens.

Waterwise and firewise design

Alongside the native plants that require very little water, pathogen-free course mulch was used to retain moisture and also provide visual aesthetics. Recycled rock and rubble materials were used to form the garden’s pathway, which also meant the garden was a firewire design. 

The garden now features educational signage full of waterwise gardening tips, local native plant species information, waterwise plant ratings and habitat ratings.  

Signage highlights the species in the demonstration garden, their waterwise ratings and habitat overview.

Waterwise gardens green, beautify and cool our communities. Waterwise demonstration gardens like the City’s Administration building garden raise awareness of the importance of verges and gardens as green spaces that can provide canopy cover and habitat for wildlife. 

Signage in the garden highlights waterwise gardening techniques, including soil preparation, plant selection and timing, mulching and watering tips.

Why Waterwise biodiverse gardening?

Whether it’s your verge, entire front garden or just a small garden bed around the side of your house, implementing a waterwise and biodiverse garden has so many huge benefits.

  • You will save water.
  • You will save time maintaining your garden. Waterwise native gardens often require less weeding, pruning, mulching, and hand watering.
  • Your garden will look amazing all year round.
  • Creates a climate-resilient and long-term sustainable garden. 
  • Provides habitat for wildlife, and you will enjoy many more birds, lizards, small marsupials and even frogs in your garden.
  • Cool your home and counteract the urban heat island effect. 
  • Contributes to healthy drainage around your home. 
  • Improves the value of your property. 
  • Improves your and the community’s mental and physical health.

By creating waterwise gardens and requesting a free street tree from the City, you can help to create cool, green and biodiverse neighborhoods that combat the urban heat island effect and help build a sustainable and climate-resilient community. 

Tips and resources

Joanne Burgess from Wildflower Society of WA’s Northern Suburbs Nursery

Most people are content contributing their time to one volunteer task or role to make real, meaningful and positive change. Joanne is not one of those people and is volunteering her time to help with numerous sustainability, conservation and community causes across Perth and, importantly, she stays true to her values and inspires those around her.

Joanne is many things: a keen and experienced gardener, former Sustainability Officer at the City of Stirling, and more recently, is focusing her efforts on helping conserve, educate and green our neighbourhoods through volunteering with Wildflower Society of WA (WSoWA) at the Northern Suburbs Branch Nursery and Friends of Kings Park in the Growing Friends group. Joanne also volunteers as a dog walker with Pets of Older Persons (POOPS); helps promote active travel through her role as a casual Bike Education coach with People on Bicycles and volunteers her time to help with several citizen science projects that help wildlife including Birdlife’s Great Cocky Count; the Bird in Backyards Seasonal Surveys; the Aussie Bird Count and more. She is also adding to her diverse skill-set and is training to volunteer as a literacy tutor with Read Write Now.

Joanne has also supported the City to implement its Waterwise Verge Rebate Program, with the WSoWA being one of the participating nurseries in the program. Through this program, 100 households in the City will be transforming their lawn, fake grass or paving into beautiful, biodiverse and waterwise verge gardens.

 

Promoting the conservation and enjoyment of wildflowers in WA 

The WSoWA is a community of wildflower enthusiasts who are connecting over WA’s incredible biodiversity and wildflowers, and inspiring others to explore ways to conserve WA’s unique flora and help people create sustainable gardens. Established in 1958, the Wildflower Society of WA has made a significant contribution to help everyone to better know, grow, conserve and enjoy the wildflowers of WA.

Joanne explains that the south-west of WA is a biodiversity hotspot and many of the plants are endemic to WA.

Joanne remarked that “so many people are yet to discover and enjoy the unique and wonderful diversity of WA flora! With the south-west of WA being a biodiversity hotspot, and many of these plants rare or threatened, the flora needs our help.”

“The south-west corner of WA is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. It is only 5% of the Australian land mass but one-third of all Australian flowering plant species grow here. The majority of these plants grow nowhere else in the world, and land clearing poses a huge risk of pushing many plant species into extinction.”

“Residential gardens and outdoor spaces have enormous potential to support our local flora and ensure that threatened plant species continue to exist.”

 

Conservation through Propagation 

The Northern Suburbs branch of the Wildflower Society of WA has a unique and wonderful nursery where WA’s flora, particularly the rare and unusual species, are the volunteer’s speciality. This is where Joanne spends her time helping to propagate plants from cuttings and seed and keeping the stock-plants used for the cuttings thriving.

The nursery is continually increasing the range of rare and threatened plants it propagates, to support the conservation and protection of these species. The volunteers only grow plants native to WA and many of the plant species are not commonly available or grown by other nurseries.

“By growing these plants and making them available for people to plant in their home gardens, we hope to preserve them and ensure that they don’t go extinct, as well as increase appreciation of the beautiful flora that WA has and support efforts to protect it.”, Joanne said.

Learn more about the services and activities our local Northern Suburbs Branch have on offer.

 

What’s happening in the nursery right now?

Did you know it takes six months to grow a plant from seed or a cutting?

This means the nursery is busy propagating plants to sell in September and October, which will be the last chance for people to get plants in the ground before it gets too hot.

The Northern Suburbs Branch is also planning for a relocation of the nursery over the next year or two to larger premises so they can grow more plants.

Image: Sally from the Wildflower Society’s beautiful native garden.

 

Benefits of Biodiverse Gardens

Gardens filled with local wildflowers provide homes, food, and places to socialise for wildlife and pollinators, as well as forming important stepping-stones or wildlife corridors between local reserves and waterways. Native plants are well adapted to local conditions, making them more suitable in the context of climate change.

“Native plants have evolved in local conditions and climate making them more resilient, waterwise and easier to maintain. By selecting the right species you can have flowers and colour all year round. Native gardens will still look beautiful with reduced water and increased heat.”

There are also many health and wellbeing benefits from gardening and connecting with nature.

“Just imagine if everyone on your street had a biodiverse and waterwise garden, how this could transform our neighbourhood streetscapes into a cool, green and liveable nature corridors helping the birds, insects, frogs and native animals to safely move and forage, which is really important for the long-term health of our urban bushland and fauna species.”

 

Get involved

  • Volunteer your time to help conserve WA’s flora and vegetation communities through a local Friends Group, WSoWA (website and Facebook) or one of the many other incredible volunteering opportunities near you.
  • Plant WA native plant species at your home: there are also many great nurseries offering native plants, find one that specialises in native plants or waterwise plants.
  • Learn more about and connect with nature and local flora in your local area.
  • Advocate for the protection of WA’s flora and vegetation communities.
  • Spread the word, because together we can make a difference.

 

Upcoming Event: Plant Sale Day

The WSoWA’s Northern Branch nursery’s annual autumn plant sale is happening on Saturday 22 April, 9.00am – 2.00pm. There are approximately 300 species of native plants available for sale, from trees to groundcovers and everything in between – many of which you can’t buy anywhere else.

Joanne and many of the volunteers will be in attendance to help you choose plants suitable for your garden and provide advice and answer all your questions.

 

Community Gardens

Community gardens bring many benefits such as enhanced social connections, education around sustainable practices and edible produce. Community gardens can create a sense of belonging and be very rewarding for people of all ages. The City takes a Community Development approach to community gardens and helps facilitate community gardens to be self-managed in a sustainable way by the community. It is not anticipated the City take an active role in establishing gardens directly or provide funding for the establishment or operations of gardens.

Community Gardens must be managed by an incorporated, not-for-profit community group and the community group must be sufficiently resourced and prepared to fund and manage the governance, membership, finances, insurances and operations of the Community Garden.

Should you wish to start a community garden please contact the Community Development Team on 9400 4226 or via email to discuss your idea.

Grow It Local Program

Grow It Local is a digital platform that encourages individuals to register their ‘patch’ then share produce, socially connect, share ideas and inspire one another to grow produce using sustainable practices. Residents can also share knowledge, skills, space, produce, seeds and seedlings, compost, food waste and more.

Grow It Local is community-led and enabled through technology by connecting local people that have time, space and skills with those that don’t. For example, connecting an experienced grower with a young family to mentor them on their growing journey.

Grow It Local is for everyone, including local growers, community gardeners and food lovers. It is also for composters and anyone with food waste such as local businesses and schools, as well as sustainability enthusiasts and community advocates. Grow It Local is suitable for both ‘givers’, such as contributors who want to share their home-grown produce or gardening tips, as well as ‘receivers’ who want to connect locally and benefit from advice, friendship or locally grown food.

For further information visit the Grow It Local portal.