A splash of colour is returning to some of Greater Dandenong’s parks, but these eye-catching garden beds are doing much more than brightening our public spaces.
Since 2021, we have been taking part in the Woody Meadow trial planting project with the University of Melbourne. The innovative gardens are more environmentally friendly, cost-effective and easier to maintain.
Woody Meadows are designed to encourage biodiversity through a rich variety of flowering plants and shrubs. The result is a display of colours that changes with the seasons while creating valuable habitat for insects and other wildlife.
Council’s Environmental Engagement Team Leader, Patrick Cazaly, said the dense canopies created by these gardens discourage weeds and require less work for our horticulture team.
“Many of our public landscapes have the tendency to use the same palette of plants, which are hardy and low-maintenance, but they are not especially beautiful. Woody Meadows are full of bright coloured flowers,” he said.
Every two years the garden beds undergo a rejuvenation process known as coppicing, where plants are cut right back to encourage strong regrowth.
While it might look like we have removed the beautiful plants it is quite the opposite. This method of hard pruning encourages the plants to grow back strongly and create a thicker canopy ensuring the gardens remain healthy and resilient.
There are three Woody Meadows across our city, including at Burden Park, Ross Reserve and Dandenong Park. The gardens were pruned in May and are now getting back to their blooming best.
