Wildflower Capital Initiative Showcases Flora

The Wildflower Capital Initiative is a cross agency program that seeks to promote Perth by showcasing the unique local flora as a wildflower theme in the design and character of public open spaces and major infrastructure. It is part of a state-wide initiative (Wildflower Way) with a focus on enhancing the community and tourist experience of WA. The benefits of this initiative include:

• promotes Perth as a ‘Wildflower Capital’ and a starting point for regional wildflower tourism
• improves the aesthetic of the city for visitors and ties in with various tourism initiatives such as the Kings Park Wildflower festivals
• promotes water wise and native planting practices
• supports the Urban Forrest Strategy
• provides an overarching framework for already existing wildflower planting initiatives
• promotes exposure and understanding of Nyungar culture by floristically demonstrating the six Nyungar Seasons.

We have committed to establish and maintain feature wildflower plantings and urban design treatments at 10 selected locations on major roads in the Perth metropolitan region as our contribution to the initiative.

We have collaborated with Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Office of the Government Architect, Burswood Park Board, Department of Planning, City of Perth, and relevant local government authorities to develop a detailed implementation strategy. Three Wildflower Capital Initiative sites were established in the winter of 2017:

• Graham Farmer Freeway at Victoria Park Drive near the stadium
• East Parade
• Causeway East near Victoria Park Bus Transfer Station.

More than 30,000 individual native, iconic Western Australian plants were planted across the three sites, with species selection reflecting the cycle of the six Nyungar seasons. The use of mulch and hardscape treatments was incorporated for visual enhancement of the feature areas. The wildflower theme has also been incorporated into urban design treatments at selected bridges, walls and screens with the restoration of murals and repainting of retaining walls.

The Wildflower Capital Initiative is an extension of our long accepted practice of using local native species in landscaping works and will continue in 2018 and 2019.