More than 8000 plants from over 110 species are being nurtured at North West Sydney’s Hills Showground Station as part of Sydney Metro’s Planting Trials initiative to boost local urban biodiversity. A collaborative effort involving Sydney Metro, Hassell and the University of Melbourne, this program has the potential to be replicated in other public landscapes across Sydney.

Sydney Metro’s Planting Trials are designed in collaboration with Hassell, John Rayner and Claire Farrell of the University of Melbourne’s Burnley Campus.

The plantings at Hills Showground Station are in full bloom now with commuters, residents and visitors enjoying the vibrant and diverse array of colourful flowering plants across the station plaza. The beautiful, biodiverse floral landscapes not only brighten the suburban sphere but also generate positive physical and mental health benefits. The new planting is multi-layered and naturalistic in style, and features a variety of predominantly native species.

“If you have paid attention to the constructed landscapes of the Australian city of the last 30 years, plant diversity will not be the thing that you notice. To create a new, more lively public landscape will require a process of trial and experiment, much like gardening, which is generally a process of discovery,” says Andrew Brophy, associate director design, Sydney Metro.

For the Hills Showground Station, planting mixes have been designed to appeal to people and pollinators, achieving a biodiverse and attractive landscape that requires a relatively low level of regular maintenance. The site is closely monitored to determine growth patterns of the plant mixes over time, while also assessing optimal growing media and biodiversity benefits.

These Planting Trials deliver several benefits, including providing a low-cost and resilient alternative to conventional public plantings; improving the quality of low-input public landscapes; and making our cities more attractive and biodiverse.

The Hills Showground Station trial will not only inform the design of other Metro-related public landscapes across Sydney, but also provide landscape architects, urban designers and industry stakeholders with the knowledge required to design thriving biodiverse landscapes in the built environment that deliver positive outcomes for both people and nature.

As they spearhead these Planting Trials, Hassell and their collaborators are determined to push the boundaries for planting design in urban environments by supporting the need for diversity and layering of plants and species.

Widespread adoption of this initiative in urban environments will help combat global biodiversity losses, reduce heat-island issues prevalent in cities, and nurture natural environments in urban spaces. The Planting Trials move beyond merely sustainable landscapes to produce restorative and regenerative environments.

Image: Supplied

Branko Miletic

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