Over 40 new apple trees planted as part of Tidy Towns initiative

Over forty apple trees were planted in the Johnstown area over the weekend as part of Johnstown Tidy Town’s wider biodiversity work.

Thanks to Meath County Council, The Heritage Council and the Community Biodiversity Action Plan Small Grant 2026, residential gardens across Navan now are the homes to newly planted apple trees.

Cllr Alan Lawes posted a video to Johnstown Tidy Towns Facebook page showing the new trees planted in Boyne View where the residents of the estate played a part in helping to plant the trees.

Six neighbours joined forces, with each household planting an apple tree in their front or back garden, together creating what is effectively a new urban orchard spread along the street.

Johnstown Tidy Towns launched an Apple Tree Mapping Project, asking residents to tell them about the apple trees growing in their gardens to build a picture of the varieties growing locally, their flowering and pollination groups, and where trees might help one another produce a better crop.

When the response to the original mapping was smaller than they had hoped, they launched an apple tree giveaway, with the aim of putting new trees close to existing ones wherever possible.

In a few years, the trees will provide spring blossom for pollinators, fruit for local families and a shared feature running through the neighbourhood. The project demonstrated that biodiversity does not always require a large piece of land or a major development.

Cllr Alan Lawes said: “It’s great to see this joint venture between JTT, MCC and all the residents of Johnstown come together. As a Cllr, I can’t wait to see the fruits of our labour next year.”