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| County Mayor Declan Hurley and Miriam Dillon lends helping hand to Children from Coachford NS, Aghabullogue NS and Skibbereen BNS at the launch of the Muintir na Tire Cork Schools Garden Competition in Griffins Garden Centre |
After all the snow and sleet of the previous week, the beast
from the East was finally banished and there was an air of spring in the air and
the sun shone brightly.
The team at Griffins
in Dripsey pulled out all the stops to
get everything ready for the official Launch of the Muintir na Tire Cork School
garden Competition. Muintir na Tire,
Cork County Council Environment and Heritage Sections and Griffins Garden
Centre have all come together to organise this exciting competition and the
sixth annual competition is now officially open and many primary schools across
the County have already entered.
Speaking at the Launch County Mayor Declan Hurley spoke of
his own love of gardening and praised this great initiative that helps children
to learn the importance of nature while staying active
Special guests included the children and teachers of Skibbereen
Boys National School Overall winner in 2017 and Coachford and Aughabullogue
National Schools. These schools got the opportunity to meet and chat with local
beekeepers and learn the importance of Bee friendly Gardening.
Margaret Griffins and the Local beekeepers are asking
schools to help protect our bees and Plants Bee friendly gardens. Her message
is simple. Plant flowers and bees will follow. This year Griffins are again
awarding a special award for the best Bee friendly Garden.
Margaret and her team also gave the children and teachers
lots of invaluable advice on recycling and potting up old wellies, old handbags
and even using their new compostable coffee cups, which can be planted directly
into the soil.
Dr. Mary Stack encouraged schools to rethink, repair,
refurbish along with reusing & recycling items in their garden, as this is
very important for the environment.
Conor Nelligan Heritage urged schools to think Biodiversity
when gardening. He particularly suggested the inclusion of natural hedges, log
piles, bird boxes, bird tables, wildflower meadows, nature-trails and the use
of native flora. This year being Blian Na Gaelige Conor urged schools to use
Irish in their school garden, maybe highlighting the names of trees and plants
as Gaelige. He also suggested that schools be creative
The main theme for this year is Climate Change and the
Garden Categories include Edible Gardens, Biodiversity/Wildlife Garden,
Up-Cycling, Art and colour Garden, Mixed
Garden, Small Garden, Best New Garden ,
Creative Ireland Innovation and Creativity, use of Irish in gardening and the
overall best Pride of County Cork
Garden All schools all automatically judged for this
Award.
Log on now to www.muintir cork.com to register your school
for the 2018 School gardens competition.
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| Children from Coachford NS learn how to plant up recycled items from the 'Queen Bee' and County Mayor Declan Hurley |
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| Mary Stack Sean Holland and Conor Nelligan |
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| Miriam Dillon Seamus Forde and Margaret Griffin at the launch |
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| Children from Skibbereen Boys National School with the Queen Bee and Mayor Declan Hurley |
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