Bidjiwong Community Nursery
About The Nursery
The Hills Shire Council manages the Bidjiwong Community Nursery.
It produces local native plants for re-vegetation projects in parks and reserves across The Hills. The nursery also has a small permaculture garden.
While the Nursery does not sell plants, residents are welcome to four free plants for their yards per year. All other plants at the nursery are grown for Council projects.
Volunteering at the nursery gives you the opportunity to:
- discover the native flora of The Hills Shire
- learn to propagate native plants and
- attend environmental workshops
.
Free Nursery Plants - Click & Collect
Bidjiwong Community Nursery offers residents of the Hills Shire 4 FREE plants per year for their property.
These plants are native to Australia and local to the Hills Shire. This makes them suitable to our conditions, soil and local wildlife.
When grown, they also provide great shade canopy for residents and the community.
Hills residents can now make an online request to be contacted for a future scheduled date where they can choose their four free plants (per calendar year) from a limited selection. Please join our waiting list using the form link below.
Click here to register your Expression of Interest for Free Plants
Council will contact you via email when giveaway days are scheduled. You will receive information on how to pick up your plants at the allocated time - contact free - at the nursery entrance.
Contact Information
Phone: +61 2 9843 0555
Open to Public: By appointment only.
Location: Ted Horwood Reserve, Renown Road, Baulkham Hills.
Volunteering at the Community Nursery
Volunteers receive training and experience in all aspects of nursery work including seed saving, propagation of indigenous plants and Work Health and Safety.
Volunteering is available Thursdays and Fridays 9am – 3pm, Saturdays 9am – 2pm and every 4th Sunday 9am - 1pm. It is not necessary to stay for the entire duration - whatever time you can give is deeply appreciated.
Activities include:
- Propagation
- Potting Up
- Weeding
- Washing Pots
- Filling Plant Orders
- Seed Cleaning
Register as a volunteer here
Please note: Nursery volunteering positions are available for Saturdays and the 4th Sunday of the month. Places are also available for Thursday and Friday Volunteering.
Safety
When attending the nursery, please use our QR code to check in (or on our iPad if you do not have access). We also have hand sanitiser at the gate.
Please bring all your own cutlery, mugs, crockery etc. Hot water, tea and coffee will be provided.
Activities will be organised so that social distancing can be observed.
Facilities
Community nursery facilities include:
- a volunteer meeting room with kitchen and adjoining pergola
- administration room
- seed room
- tool shed
- potting up area
- propagation igloos
- shade-house
- open growing areas - some with benches
- automatic watering system and
- an artificial wetland constructed for filtering nutrients from water
There is also a small community garden where volunteers can learn about:
- organic gardening techniques
- permaculture and
- sustainable living through green-waste recycling, composting and worm farming
Seed Propagation
To preserve the genetic integrity of the local flora, seed is collected from naturally occurring indigenous species. Seed provenance is recorded in a database for future reference.
They are then either stored in the seed bank or made available for propagation (by staff or volunteers at the community nursery).
Seedlings are then planted back in the bush.
You will also find further information about the Bushcare Volunteer Program here or phone Council's Bushcare Office on +61 2 9843 0555.