Published on Wednesday, 7 April 2021 at 5:53:36 PM
North Perth Common will be transformed into an oasis of native plants next week when the City of Vincent hosts its Native Plant Sale and Sustainability Hub.
The hugely popular event returns to North Perth Common on Saturday 17 April from 8am – 11am.
The City has purchased about 6000 Australian native tube stock plants and 100 trees in the lead up and will subsidise the cost for Vincent residents.
Horticulturalists will be on site to help keen gardeners choose their plants and provide information on how to care for the different species.
“Now is a great time to spruce up your garden and planting natives has the added benefit of supporting our local environment,” said Mayor Emma Cole.
“Native gardens and waterwise native verges not only save precious water, they also provide food and habitat for wildlife.
“We will have a huge variety of species available at the sale to help people transform their homes – from ground covers and small shrubs to tall shrubs, trees and climbers.
“We’re also setting up a sustainability hub where people can get free design advice, water saving and re-use tips, helpful information on solar power and battery storage or join up to the local tool library.”
The City has lined up a number of exciting stallholders for the event, including a Switch Your Thinking Solar PV provider and representatives from the Tools n Things Library and the Claisebrook Catchment Group.
Eco Architect Matt Wallwork will be available to take a look at house or renovation plans and provide tips on how to improve sustainability.
The Greywater Industry Group is setting up a water recycling display and an electric vehicle demonstration will be provided by the Australian Electric Vehicle Association.
City staff will be on hand to chat all things waste and provide information on the upcoming transition to a three-bin Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) system.
There will also be a library pop-up with green-themed books for those who want to dive deeper into plant care and a busker providing live music.
Community members who have participated in the April round of the City’s Adopt-A-Verge program will be able to collect their 20 free plants at the sale.
Plants will be available for purchase from 8am. Anyone who arrives early is encouraged to enjoy a coffee at a local business before choosing their plants.
Planting tips:
- Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the pot.
- Backfill some of the soil you have dug out back into the hole and mix in the recommended amount of native plant fertiliser to give new roots a good start.
- Be gentle when removing the plant and root ball from the pot – a gentle tap on the top of the pot or the tube should do the trick if its stuck.
- Put the plant in the hole, backfill with the rest of the dug-out soil and create a wide, shallow bowl around the plant ensuring the root ball isn’t sticking out of the ground.
- Use a bit of soil wetter around the plant and water it well.
- Mulch your garden well to retain water in the soil and suppress weeds, but be sure to pull away any mulch from the stem to prevent rotting.
- Give your new plants some extra love over their first few years, particularly when it comes to watering in the warmer months. After a few years they will thrive on their own.
- Native species are sensitive to phosphorus so a specialised native fertiliser is recommended. We will have tubs available at the Native Plant Sale.
- Pick the right size plants for the location – smaller plants are great for the verge to keep safe lines of site for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, while big shrubs are good for the yard.
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