More than 250 people explored some of the region’s most inspiring native gardens during GeoCatch’s inaugural Bay OK Open Native Gardens Weekend on 10-11 October, with the event selling out and demonstrating strong community interest in creating beautiful, waterwise and nutrient-wise gardens.
The two-day event gave visitors exclusive access to a collection of local gardens showcasing the benefits of native plants, sustainable gardening practices and landscaping approaches that also help protect Geographe Bay, local waterways and our wildlife.
Hosted by the Bay OK program, the weekend highlighted how sustainable gardening can reduce fertiliser runoff, conserve valuable water resources and support local biodiversity, while creating thriving and attractive home gardens.
GeoCatch Bay OK Project Officer, Lisa Massey said the event provided a valuable opportunity to connect people with practical solutions for sustainable gardening.
“It was wonderful to see so many people enthusiastic about learning how native plants can create beautiful, vibrant gardens while also helping to protect our waterways,” Lisa said.
“Many visitors were keen to learn about plant selection and design to create native gardens that can thrive with less water. By sharing real-life examples and experiences from local gardeners, we hope to inspire more people to embrace nutrient-wise and waterwise gardening at home.”
GeoCatch Executive Manager, Drew McKenzie said the sold-out response exceeded expectations and highlighted growing interest in environmentally responsible gardening.
“The success of our first Open Native Gardens Weekend has been fantastic. Seeing more than 200 people come through the gardens over the weekend shows there is a real appetite in the community for practical, local knowledge about sustainable gardening,” Drew said.
“This event was about showcasing what is possible and giving people the confidence to make changes in their own gardens. We are thrilled with the feedback received and excited about the potential for the event to grow in the future.”
One of the participating garden hosts, Ambergate resident Katie, said opening her garden was a pleasure.
“I really enjoyed seeing the interest that was sparked in so many people who can hopefully now choose to put WA natives into their own gardens, whether they’re starting from scratch, replacing a lawn area like I did, or just adding some into their existing gardens. I loved that people took their time and wandered around to see the different areas of my garden,” Katie said.
Throughout the weekend, visitors attended host talks, explored established native gardens and gained practical tips on creating outdoor spaces that are both environmentally friendly and suited to local conditions.
The gardening workshops held at Geographe Landcare Community Nursery and Soils Dunsborough were also very popular as were the sold-out guided wildflower walks in Ambergate Reserve and Meelup Regional Park.
The Bay OK Open Native Gardens Weekend was supported by Water Corporation, the City of Busselton, Healthy Estuaries WA and Revitalising Geographe Waterways.
GeoCatch thanks the volunteer garden hosts, supporters and attendees who helped make the inaugural event such a success and looks forward to building on the momentum in future years.
This event was hosted by GeoCatch and supported by Water Corporation, the City of Busselton as well as Healthy Estuaries WA and Revitalising Geographe Waterways, State Government initiatives to improve the health of our South West estuaries.
