CES workers build pollinator-friendly garden feature

Eleven CES workers completed an ornamental flowers project in the garden of Cross & Passion College during the week, writes Brian Byrne.

All participants were local to Kilcullen, Brannockstown, Calverstown and Newbridge, and the project was the Establishing Ornamental Flowers Level 4 QQI module in the Horticulture Major Level 4 course.

Under the supervision of instructor Sean Feeney, they designed the project, and with more than 100 plants put down, the area will be a haven for pollinators like bees, ladybirds and wasps.

Kilcullen area CES Supervisor Theresa Whelan, with instructor Sean Feeney.

"The plants included lavender, rudbeckia, and buxus ball to provide a year-round interest," says Sean, who runs his own Natural Landscapes business and has delivered a range of courses for the CES. "We also included native birch in the project, which is designed in a maze effect."

The eleven who completed the course are Trevor Fitzpatrick, Billy Conway, Pat Nolan, Nigel Phillips, Tom Hughes, Chris Byrne, John Duffy, Daniel Byrne, Joe Winders, Richie Mooney and Bernadette Clifford. Sadly, the late Dean Logan was among the original group, but his untimely death intervened and he was in everyone's thoughts as the project was completed.

None of the group had any prior experience in horticulture, according to Sean Feeney. "But they all had an interest, which is all I wanted. In the scheme of such projects, this was large, and their work ethic was amazing."

Supervisor of the Kilcullen Area Community Employment Scheme Theresa Whelan says she is very proud of the participants that took this course. "As part of community employment, training is essential. All the workers on the Kilcullen scheme are outdoor workers, hence we are doing minor modules of the Horticulture Major Level 4 award."

She thanked CPC for providing the space to do the project.

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