Local Plant Carers celebrates the people who care for local green spaces, recognising the volunteers whose ongoing efforts help shape and sustain the landscapes of Brompton, Bowden and Ovingham. Responding to the greening initiatives that have transformed these neighbourhoods, the artwork acknowledges the collective care, environmental stewardship and sense of community that underpin these shared places.

Collaborating with artist Laura Wills across a series of nine planter boxes, Flaherty combines simplified, paper cut out inspired forms with a palette drawn from the colours of local native plantings, featuring soft greens, greys and subtle earthy accents. Stylised depictions of volunteers planting, weeding and caring for Country are interwoven with representations of endemic South Australian flora, creating vibrant compositions that celebrate both people and place. Rather than documenting the greening groups literally, the artwork transforms their work into a visual language that reflects the enduring relationship between communities and the natural environment.

Created for Drayton Street Park, the mural is Flaherty’s first public artwork and reflects the important contribution of community-led environmental action across the City of Charles Sturt. Developed through engagement with local greening groups, the project reflects Flaherty’s longstanding interest in community engaged practice and endemic plant conservation. By bringing these stories into the public realm, the planter boxes encourage visitors to reflect on their own relationship with nature and recognise the quiet yet significant contributions of those who care for shared landscapes.

Commissioned by City of Charles Sturt and delivered by Guildhouse.