Welcome to Urban Forest at Home, we’re excited to have your help transforming our Town into a leafy paradise! As the weather cools and the rains return it’s time to get new plants in the ground, and we have loads of fabulous native plants and trees to help you bring Vic Park’s Urban Forest right to your doorstep.
You don’t need a green thumb or a shed full of gardening tools; if you’ve never grown a plant before our helpful team will give you the full lowdown on how to be a good plant parent when you come to collect your little ones.
Join us in creating a greener, healthier and happier Town. Let's grow together with Urban Forest at Home!
Now that your plants are happily in the ground you can return your used pots to the Town's Depot for recycling.
A drop-off station as been setup in front of the Depot building at 199 Star St, Welshpool, so swing by to return your pots.
How it works
- There will be two releases of plants, the first on Tues 29 Apr and the second on Tues 13 May.
- Each household may order up to one (1) Plant Pack and up to two (2) Trees until stocks are exhausted.
- Plant collection is Sunday 25 May, 8am-2pm, Victoria Park Markets, John Macmillan Park
- This program is only open to Town of Vic Park residents. Please bring your drivers license to confirm your address.
- Education sessions will be held 9:30-10am and 11:30-12noon, featuring presentations from Town of Vic Park experts, The Collective Shed, Verge Transformers, Urban Revolution and the Vic Park Community Garden. Grab a coffee and learn more about how to support our urban ecosystem.
Place your order here
Collection Day - Speaker Program
Make the most of your trip to the Vic Park Markets on collection day. Grab a coffee and catch quick, power-packed session with local eco-experts on how to boost our urban ecosystem — from verge gardens to soil health. The fantastic team from Friends of Jirdarup will also be onsite, chatting about their work protecting our precious natural spaces.
Session 1
|
Session 2
|
|
9:30-9:45 AM
|
Caring for your new plants – Stephen “Bushy” Szydlowski, Town of Vic Park
|
11:30-11:45 AM
|
Caring for your new plants – Stephen “Bushy” Szydlowski, Town of Vic Park
|
|
9:45-9:50 AM
|
Native Garden Verges – Natalie Ong, Verge Transformers
|
11:45-11:55 AM
|
Food Trees for Black Cockatoos - Kendal Becu
|
|
9:50-9:55 AM
|
Gardening Together - Natalie Ong, Vic Park Community Garden
|
|
|
|
9:55-10:05 AM
|
How to get all the tools, without buying any – Martin Turner, Vic Park Collective Shed
|
|
|
|
10:05-10:15 AM
|
Growing Soil – Jo Bussell, Urban Revolution
|
|
|
2025 Plant Packs & Tree Information
Below is the range of carefully curated plant packs made absolutely free for Town of Vic Park Residents. 90% of the plant species are endemic to the local area (and many are grown direct from seed collected from Jirdarup Bushland in Kensington) so they will love it in your garden!
Of the 31 different species of trees available through the 2025 Urban Forest at Home program, 22% are considered to be a food source for black cockatoos. When considering the number of actual plants available, of the 1300 trees distributed, 42% are food sources for black cockatoos.
As the climate shifts we are trialing a range of hardier species along with local species from the Perth region, that thrive in warmer, dryer conditions (from areas further north and west of Perth). These are smaller tree species suitable for planting in residential blocks. 27% of the tree stock available constitutes these hardier species.
Jirdarup Biodiversity Pack
Welcome some of our smallest residents into your garden with plants that provide food and lodging for our local wildlife. Hello lizards, birds and bees!
Learn more
Bush Tucker Pack
Wrap your tastebuds around some delicious new hyper-local flavours. Your garden will look and taste great with this mix of amazing local species.
Learn more
Strappy Leaf Native Pack
Low and leafy; this collection of rushes and grasses bring beautiful texture, hardy greens and splash of colour to your garden beds.
Learn more
WA Ground Cover Verge Pack
Be the envy of all your neighbours with the smartest looking verge on the street. These waterwise ground covers are low maintenance and handsome as hell.
Learn more
Jirdarup Wildflower Pack
Celebrate this stunning range of local wildflowers that drive the pollinators wild. This collection has been nurtured from our wonderful Jirdarup Bushland Precinct.
Learn more
Trees
We have many varieties of small, medium and large trees available that bring shade and style to any yard. We have specially highlighted species that are a common food source for Black Cockatoos.
Learn more
Welcome, gardeners, new and experienced!
To get ready for plant parenthood, check out these planting tips from Bushy, our Urban Ecosystems Supervisor and resident plant whiz.
Show us how your plants are faring!
You guys are amazing and we love your readiness to roll up your sleeves and get green! And there are a lot of you, so let’s celebrate your fabulous community efforts and the burgeoning Urban Forest we’re farming together.
At every opportunity show us how your plants are going – thriving or struggling, dead or alive, from seedling to towering tree. Share your pics, your videos, your audio (yeah, tree audio, now there’s a creative challenge!) Tag us on Facebook and Instagram and use #GreeningVicPark or email us your pics directly at ufs@vicpark.wa.gov.au.
As if you needed more reasons to grow our Urban Forest
Besides boosting our urban canopy to 20%, this program is really good for you. Gardening isn't just about pretty plants—it's an outdoor workout that boosts physical and mental health. Plus, it's a family affair that keeps kids connected to nature and adults smiling.
Eco warriors, rejoice! By planting seedlings from our local biodiversity hotspot, you're not just greening your space—you're preserving global biodiversity. Want to learn more about the critters who will be loving your new plants? Perth NRM’s ReWild project has loads of great resources to help you get to know your animal neighbours. They even have ways you can get involved with local rewilding and science projects. Check them out here.
So, grab a shovel and join the green revolution! Let's grow our urban forest and our community, one tree at a time.
Keeping it local!
In the video below, Town Urban Ecosystems Supervisor Bushy explains how the Town ensures the planting and continuity of endemic species to contribute to our urban canopy. Learn more about our other Urban Forest planting programs here.
Frequently asked questions
Oh no – the plant pack/trees I wanted aren't showing as options
If a plant pack or tree species isn't showing in the booking form, it means stocks are now exhausted. Whilst we dream of an endless supply of plants, the reality is we have a fixed number of plants to give away through this program. Some additional stock will be released 13 May through the booking form. If you’re feeling lucky you can come down to the Vic Park Markets from 1:30pm on Collection Day (Sunday 25 May), where all uncollected plants will be up for grabs… roll the dice!
I’m busy on Sunday 25 May, can I collect my plants on a different day?
Unfortunately we can’t arrange early collection or hold plant orders after 25 May. If you're busy that day maybe reach out to a friend or a neighbour and see if they can collect the plants on your behalf. Just forward them your confirmation email, so they can verify your order and they will be able to collect your plants.
Can I order more than one plant pack and two trees?
We love your gardening enthusiasm, but we want this program to be open to as many residents as possible and we want everyone to have a fair chance at snagging their free plants. So, we will only allow you to order up to one (1) plant pack and up to two (2) trees per household.
Can I plant a tree on my verge?
You can plant your new trees on your private property (in your own garden), however you can’t go planting your trees on the verge. Only plant species that grow under 0.75 metres are permitted for verge planting by the resident and all verge plantings need to comply with the Towns verge policy - you can find details here. That said, you can request a verge tree here and the Town will give consideration to the suitability of your verge for a Town-maintained verge tree. Considerations include surrounding infrastructure and best placement of the tree so as not to obstruct sight lines for traffic.
Can I mix and match plants from different packs?
No, the packs can only be ordered as a whole. If there are plants in other packs that you love, see if your neighbour would be willing to swap.
I don’t live in the Town of Vic Park, can I order a tree/plants?
Sorry, the program is only available to Town of Vic Park residents. Many councils run similar programs so get in touch with your local council to see if they have a program you could participate in.
The form requires a collection time - can I just turn up any time on collection day?
We expect over 1300 plant loving locals to come to collection day. To manage these numbers we are asking you to nominate a collection time. Be sure to check in at our registration desk within your nominated time slot to collect your plants.
Is there a way that I can order two of the same species of tree?
Provided there is stock available we can manually assist with orders for 2 trees of the same species. Please contact the Town on 08 9311 8111 and ask for the Urban Forest Team.