Gardening – February 2024
Monday 12th February 2024
Marlena and Chris from Mid and East Antrim Council Parks Department came along to our meeting. Marlena explained that her work involved visiting school growing clubs and others groups showing how to grow flowers, fruit and veg. She is also responsible for allotments in Eden, Greenisland and Larne, and also arranges events including foraging walks and other initiatives to involve the community and is involved with East Antrim in Bloom.
Chris said that he was the Tree man and was responsible for overseeing the planting of many more trees here. Northern Ireland has the least amount of trees in the British Isles. He also encourages Schools to plant trees and indeed everyone could plant trees to help the environment. The Council is enabled to fund the planting of many thousands of trees because of funds received from the Woodland Trust.
Marlena then went on to explain how to use old milk containers in the garden and greenhouse and many other ideas to reuse and recycle household items including cardboard toilet roll tubes to plant seeds in. It was a very enjoyable morning with lots of opportunity to ask questions and seek advice.
Our next meeting will be held in Nelson Street on 11th March when we will be starting off our growing season by planting seeds for ourselves and to share seedlings later. Marion will be helping us as in other years.
