Our orchard is planted, mulched and with lots of spring bulbs already springing up to attract the bees 🐝

Open Orchard Laurel Lodge is in the ground!

10 beautiful apple trees happily planted in their new home.

Generations of a community coming together to plant an urban orchard. It doesn’t get much better than this!

What a fab morning with huge support from the community and Fingal County Council.

A fantastic morning‘s work preparing the ground for our urban orchard in Laverna.

A great morning of mulching with some innovative use of GAA cones!

So delighted with the great turnout of members who came along to help.

To have the site prepared for this orchard - and to feel the support of the community - means the world.

🍏💚

Our Project's Impact in Action

Orchard Site: We have the support of the Local Authority (Fingal CC) to plant 8-10 fruit trees on our site of preference. We have held a site visit with Fingal Parks Superintendents (see photo 2) and have confirmed our proposed location for planting (see photo 1).

Agreed Timeline:
November 2022: Pollinator friendly spring bulbs will be planted.
Winter 2023: Soil will be prepped with layers of leaf compost and bark mulch
Early Spring 2023: Tree Planting Day: Orchard of 8-10 fruit trees will be planted
Spring/ Summer 2023: Ongoing rota for care of trees including watering, mulching, blossom watching. Meadow will be grown.
Autumn 2023: Harvesting of orchard. Meadow grasses will be cut and lifted.

Site Preparation: We have confirmed that Fingal will assist us to prepare and develop the area as a combined orchard/ pollinator meadow. We will hold a community day to prepare the tree planting site with locally sourced leaf compost and bark mulch.

Orchard Promotion: We have promoted the Change X Open Orchard project among our group members at our AGM, through WhatsApp, newsletter and email. We have an orchard planning committee of 5 and will continue to encourage our members to take part in project days on site.

Local Support and Consultation: We have promoted our Open Orchard to local Resident Associations adjacent to the proposed site. We have secured strong local support and arranged a site visit between our group coordinators and local residents. We will invite the local community to our soil preparation day and tree planting day and will continue to involve local residents in this community-based project.

Proposed Planting Plan: We have agreed to host 8-10 trees on one orchard site and propose a zig zag pattern for planting based on observations of good practice. We are prioritising good quality, established apple trees sourced from local Irish-based tree nursery. We have proposed waiting to early spring 2023 as an optimum planting time for these trees.

Funding: We acknowledge the source funding in our newsletter and communications on social media and WhatsApp relating to the project. The Change X funding has been extremely important in budgeting for good quality established apple trees sources from local Irish-based tree nurseries. We have sourced good quality gardening equipment for the orchard project with the support of the Change X funding.

Embedding our ideas from the ground up. We are delighted with the enthusiastic and involved response of the Laverna Residents Association, who live adjacent to our preferred location. Working together, we believe we can achieve something long term and sustainable with this community orchard. We will take their feedback on board and arrange an on-site meeting with Fingal to finalise the proposed site.

Promoting the Laurel Lodge Open Orchard in our September newsletter to our members 🙌🏻🙌🏻

We had a great meeting tonight to move the orchard project forward. We’ve worked hard to embed the project with a neighbourhood association so that we get that crucial grassroots support for the orchard. Getting a really enthusiastic response and a number of neighbours have signed up to help tend the orchard. Next meeting with Fingal will finalise the orchard’s location. Delighted!

Deep in discussion at our second planning meeting :)

With the support of Fingal, it looks like we have identified our preferred site for our first orchard. Moving nicely through our action plan!

Scouting locations for Laurel Lodge Open Orchard 🍎🍏🫐🌳

Team Laurel Lodge are ready for this project! Excited to get going. Next step is to identify our orchard locations.

Open Orchard Laurel Lodge Action Plan

Objective is to plant two mini orchards in Laurel Lodge in autumn 2022.

Site 1: Speak to Local Authority (Fingal Asst Parks Superintendent) to advise them of plan and request permission to plant 6 fruit trees on our site of preference. Request site visit and confirm location for planting.

Site 2: Speak to Parish Council and request permission to plant 6 fruit trees on parish-owned land adjacent to our current gardening project. Arrange site visit and confirm location for planting. Speak to Local Authority (Fingal) to advise them of plan to progress second orchard at this location.

Explore options for sites with Local Authority if either of these sites are not approved.

Promote Open Orchard project among our members and encourage members to get involved. Promote Open Orchard to local Resident Associations.

Assess whether soil is suited to apple trees, pear trees and/or soft fruit trees. Map out proposed planting plan based on assessment. Assess soil for good drainage before proceeding further.

Research apple tree varieties and planting advice on sites such as:
Apple Tree FAQs - Irish Seed Savers Association;
Buy Apple Trees Online - Heritage Fruit Tree Nursery;
Starting with fruit - Deborah Ballard – Future Forests

Committee to agree on type and number of trees to purchase and to map diagram for planting.

Source good quality, established fruit trees from Irish-based tree nursery

Secure Local Authority support to prepare site for planting. Request peat free compost and bark mulch to surround the tree bases.

Schedule Tree Planting Day based on optimum planting conditions for trees. Bare root trees can be planted in late autumn (November).

Organise rota within the group to take responsibility for watering, mulching, blossom watching and harvesting.

Promote our orchards on social media and encourage the community to take part!

Planning Meeting last night! Feeling really great about this project :)