Navan kids reaching for the skies with super sunflowers
The garden was set up “by the children for the children” who built, grew and now maintain it.
A UNIQUE urban community garden in Old Balreask Woods, Navan is proving a major hit with local children as well as the entire community.
Record breaking sunflowers, pumpkins for Halloween and a variety of tasty vegetables including the staple spud are now growing in what had become a derelict bit of waste ground.
The garden was set up “by the children for the children” who built, grew and now maintain it.
“We decided to set up the garden at Easter last year and the children really made it their own from then,” says Old Balreask Woods Resident Association chairman, John Coen.
“It has really captured their imagination. They have planted spuds, peas, runner beans – every type of vegetable as well as herbs and flowers,” he says .
“It was a derelict looking area and was beginning to attract anti social behaviour. Now it is transformed into a vibrant area which attracts children not alone from Old Balreask Woods, but the entire surrounding areas, as well as elderly people who enjoy using it for their walks.
“We also have older people who cannot maintain their own gardens coming to help out here.
“The children just love it. They were out with their toy tractors and sandcastle spades digging up spuds.”
The children are particularly excited by their sunflowers which could well be the tallest in Ireland with some well over 14 feet tall.
“We give the kids little sunflower seedlings which they nourished and cared for before planting them out.
“Now we have a wall full of giant sunflowers, one of which is at least 14 foot 4 inches tall,”
“We started off small last year, but we have planted a bigger area this year and hope to have it even bigger again next year.
“We think we will put in a sensory garden for next year as well as a biodiversity area.”
As well as an opportunity for the children and the residents to grow their own food, it has also been a learning experience.
“Some of more green fingered residents have been doing little experiments with the children – such as using organic fertilizer on potatoes and comparing them to other plots of potatoes.
“We have children who had never eaten a vegetable before starting to eat them because they had been involved in the process from seed, growing, harvesting, bringing them home and having them cooked.”
A seat for the garden has been provided by a young resident of Oberstown, as part of his Gaisce Award programme.
The children have also sown pumpkins for harvesting at Halloween and there are plans to hold a carved pumpkin competition.
The residents are hoping to receive support next year to further grow their garden.
“What was a drab unused laneway has been reclaimed to become a eco-friendly colourful space the whole community can enjoy,” says
John.