COMMUNITY GARDENS
My background
I have been involved in some sort of food growing since I was a child, my parents attempted to live the good life, and so we always grew vegetables, had fruit trees, and kept chickens and bees. I am passionate about growing food organically and locally and about teaching other people how to grow their own food.
To that end, I am a horticulture tutor with the Kildare Wicklow Education & Training Board, where I teach FETAC Level 3 & 4 organic horticulture courses in training centres in Kildare, and in the Community Education sector helping set up community gardens in a variety of settings.
Previous projects include teaching FETAC courses (e.g., Growing Vegetables, Growing Fruit, Plant ID, Plant Propagation and Horticultural Science) at Clane Irish Wheelchair Association and the ACRE Project, Celbridge, and setting up community gardens at the Newbridge Family Resource Centre, Kilcock Men’s Shed, Piper’s Hill Community School parents’ group, and Ashgrove Housing Estate, Derrinturn, where we set up the first community garden in a council housing estate in Co. Kildare.
If you are interested in setting up a community garden in any form and in any situation, you can contact me to chat about your idea.
What I Offer
- Community garden design, mapping, set up, consultation in any setting
- Training courses in community gardens – Training & Workshop Programme on a broad variety of topics from food growing, seed sowing, soil & fertility, pest & diseases, plant propagation, and planting for pollinators
- Community projects – bespoke training courses for a variety of community groups & settings
- Community Garden consultation & support
- Teaching QQI Level courses in a variety of settings – QQI Level 3 & 4 courses
- Living Willow Projects – setting up a living willow project in your school, be it an archway, fence, or dome
