Community Planting Days + Opening

Help create a beautiful new Rain Garden with 3,500 native plants

3 planting sessions:

Friday 12 August, 9 am – 12 noon

Friday 12 August, 12.30 – 3.30 pm

Saturday 13 August, 9 am – 12 noon

Opening & lunch

Saturday 13 Aug, 12 noon

All ages welcome. All under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Bookings essential.

What do I need to bring on the day?

Gardening clothing, gloves (will be provided if you don’t have your own), sturdy footwear, sunscreen, hat and raincoat.
Water bottle, snacks and hand sanitiser.

Connect with your community, natural history and nature

Addi Road and Inner West Council have together developed the rain garden and chain of ponds next to Gumbramorra Hall at Addi Road.

We will plant 14 species of native grasses, sedges and flowering plants to filter local storm water and improve the health of the Cooks River.

The new rain garden, also called a bio retention system, re-interprets the old creek line that once flowed through to the Gumbramorra Swamp in pre-colonial days.

Plant species are carefully selected to:

Filter out heavy metals, excess nutrients and plastics, including micro plastics
Connect to the natural history and reinstate the native species of the area
Attract and provide habitat for native birds and animals

A planting expert from Inner West Council will introduce you to the native plants, why they’ve been chosen and where to plant each species.

Where are the plants from?

The 3,500 plants are native to the Cooks River catchment area. The tubestock plants are sourced through the Marrickville Community Nursery and Inner West Council.

Who will ensure the plants are maintained?

The new plants will be watered and maintained by Addi Road with the support of IWC specialist staff. Rainwater will be taken from the tank by the ponds.

The rain garden is one of Addi Road’s many sustainability programs and is an Addi Road and Inner West Council partnership.