Community garden in full bloom for open day

Dublin People 20 Aug 2011
Community garden in full bloom for open day

IT’S just over a year since
a small group of volunteers from Santry came together with the shared vision of
creating a community garden in the historic grounds of the Santry Demesne
Public Park.

This Sunday (August 28),
hundreds of visitors from across the Northside will be able to witness the
fruits of their labour at first hand when the Santry Community Garden throws
open its doors for its inaugural Garden Fete.

A total of 150 members are
now involved in cultivating the sizeable 4.5 acre plot within the beautiful walled
garden, which was originally part of the landed estate of the Domville and
Barry families.

Although the old estate
house was demolished in the 1960s, the walled garden was preserved and has now
been given a new lease of life as home to a flourishing fruit orchard and
community vegetable garden and fruit orchard.

Donna Callan, chairperson of
the Santry Community Garden Committee, explains the remarkable success story of
how a neglected patch of Northside land was transformed into a kitchen
gardening paradise.

“A lot of people thought it
would be impossible, that the plot was too large to be maintained by
volunteers, but we have a core team of about 25 people directed by a head
gardener who come regularly to work in the garden and can help themselves to the
fruit and vegetables they grow,

? she says.

“At the moment we have
gorgeous potatoes, they are the proverbial balls of flour! We also have a great
variety of salads, peas, onions, carrots, cabbages, a herb garden, rhubarb,
strawberries and fruit trees.

The committee has benefited
from small grants from An Taisce, Fingal County Council and the Community
Foundation to enable them to construct a shed and install a poly tunnel.

The next major undertaking
will be to irrigate the plot, and construct specially high raised beds to allow
people with disabilities or mobility issues to work on the garden.

Donna expressed hope that
more volunteers will be recruited at next Sunday’s family-themed open day.

“Community gardening is a
great alternative to allotments, which are rare as hen’s teeth,

? she adds.

“People can drop in as often
or as little as they like, the garden is open five days a week and a committee
member is always on duty to explain what tasks need to be done.

“Anyone who works on the
garden is welcome to help themselves to whatever fruit and vegetables are ripe
on the day.

Annual memberships are very
low at e20 or e10 concession, which appeals to unemployed people or retirees on
low income.

Anyone interested in finding
out more about Santry Community Garden should head along to the Garden Fete
this Sunday to enjoy guided tours, live music, children’s entertainment and the
chance to sample some of the homegrown produce of this wonderful local
initiative.

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