As part of our efforts to encourage local residents to plant fruit trees, we have developed a Community Orchard plan to enable residents to plant fruit trees in their gardens.The trees are aimed at residents of the Crumlin / Kimmage area to be planted in private gardens.
2024 Update
Thanks to everyone who made this year’s Orchard Project such a success, particularly Laura and the Orchard Team, the staff of Clogher Road Community College, the Delicious Food Company, and everyone who volunteered their time on the day and in the run up to the event. We hope you all enjoy smelling and eating the produce of your new plants, and that you’ll spot lots of pollinators and other wildlife visiting the plants too.
Number of free plants, trees, bushes, herbs and shrubs given away in this project over time.
2022 Update
In March 2022, Bloomin’ Crumlin volunteers delivered 1,250 fruit and native trees to Crumlin and Kimmage residents for their private gardens with over six hundred residents taking up the offer. This project started in January, when leaflets were delivered to 7,000 residences in the area and a phone line and online ordering system was put in place for residents to requests trees. In February,
volunteers worked hundreds of hours organizing the logistics, ordering trees, reaching out to people who did not have email or could not plant the trees themselves.
In March, we delivered some of the trees, organised labels, order cards, signage, instructions and try to get to grips with event management.
The distribution day was a huge success with local experts on hand to provide detailed instructions on how to plant the trees and caring advice to people who came to collect their trees. Free bicycle repairs were also available for those attending. Over fifty volunteers took part of the day which could not have been possible without sponsorship from Canada Life Reinsurance and National Lottery. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the project and Sister Edel for allowing us the space to distribute the trees.
After the distribution day, we visited neighbours who could not plant the trees themselves and planted them in their gardens. Thanks to Willie, Josephine, and Laura for helping with this. The trees were supplied mainly by Philip Lacystown from Lacystown Nursery, and also by English’s Fruit Nursery, Kearneys Galbally Nursery and the Native Woodland Trust. Philip was an invaluable
help, in terms of flexibility and availability.
We hope that the introduction of such considerable number of trees in the area is going to contribute to improve our own living conditions by helping with pollution, attracting insects and birds, and enhancing the wellbeing of those around them.
The project created great interest in the area, and it will be followed by a new edition next year
2021 Update
In early 2021, we purchased 60 fruit trees and stakes and distributed them to residents in the local area. This is the start of the Crumlin community orchard. Trees were provided by Phillip in Lacystowns Nursery and also by Trees of the land; they were distributed in a social-distance manner during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Project Overview
Thanks to: Laura, Lisa, Bree, Michelle, Siobhan, Katrin, Josephine, Hugh, Jacqueline, Paddy, Tamsyn, Trevor, Cristina, Tina, Daniel, Philip and many other people that helped with the project.
Trees supplied by: Philip (Lacystown Nursery), Englishs Fruit Nursery, Kearneys Galbally Nursery, and the Native Woodland Trust.
Sponsored by: Canada Life Reinsurance and Irish National Lottery
Photos: Beta Bagjart, Deirdre Horan
Status: Ongoing
