Bulb planting party

A big Thank You to all those who turned up for the first Skerries Open Orchards Project Work Party today, 19 December, in the Kelly’s Bay Open Orchard!

When I say “Work Party,” the emphasis is firmly on “Party” – it was great fun to meet the Kelly’s Bay Guardians Tom, Marta & kids, Diarmuid & son, Fergus & kids, and Joe & kids as well as the SkOOPers Charlie & Marion (as always invaluable with their gardening knowledge), Anne, and Sabine (author of this report).

A SkOOPer had kindly donated a bag of pollinator-friendly spring-flowering bulbs, and within half an hour, the work party had planted them around trees at the bus-stop side of the large Kelly’s Bay Green.

Let’s hope they’ll provide a lot of colour and cheer in the spring!

Progress otherwise

We have now gotten the go-ahead from Fingal County Council and informed all local residents, who responded very positively. There are a dozen “Tree Guardian” families ready to help planting in early spring! If anyone else would like to join this group, or put their area forward for a future open orchard – or if you’d like to know more about what we’re doing, please take a look at SustainableSkerries.com/orchards and join us!

We have started the process of ordering a mix of apple trees, including eating and cooking apples, as well as a couple of pear and plum and hazel trees. Next step: Planting them, probably in mid-February.