Bee friendly Community Orchards on approach roads

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful welcomes all to our city,  at this time of year our approach roads are spruced up, and this includes the bee friendly  community orchard on the Waterford  road. the trees are currently in flower and we await a great fruit crop later in the year.  Congratulations to the Kilkenny Bahai  community who  came out to  maintain  the Orchard   and  Kilkenny welcome sign!.

Fruit blossoms in Kilkenny City

Throughout Kilkenny our   many pear and apple community orchards are flowering  in colourful whites and pinks.   The wild cherry has already flowered. We look forward to the fruit later in the year.  Additional orchard and fruit tree planting  continues each year at new locations and existing trees are pruned.  Attractive orchards can be seen  at various locations and estates through out our City.  Examples can be seen  at  Kilkenny castle Park, Waterford Rd. and  Bennettsbridge rd. Along the main ring road there is a variety of fruit trees planted interspersed  among the overall planting.

Fruit tree and fruit bush planting

As part of our long term sustainability  programme KKB, our many residents associations and  our Local Authority are leaving a legacy  of extensive fruit tree and fruit  bush planting each year  right around Kilkenny City. These  trees and bushes  will continue to give fruit, cover and colour  to our community for many years to come, Kilkenny City has a very suitable micro climate for fruit tree planting.  Kilkenny: The orchard of Ireland.

Blackcurrant and gooseberry plants having been  propagated by  Keep Kilkenny Beautiful from 2016 cuttings are prepared for planting to create a new fruit garden in 2017. The fruit is equally popular for   jam making as to be  eaten our birds during the summer.

Apple tree planting underway 2017  creating a new fruit garden , protection is being  provided to protect the base of the trees from strimming and bark mulch to keep growth down by the  trees.

There are already many fruit tree varieties in our city , this tree is located in the city centre near the Black abbey (pictured autumn 2016)

Kilkenny 400 Fruit tree project

Part of the gathering at Kilkenny Park Orchard for the launch. June 2010 copyright Keep Kilkenny Beautiful

An  event to celebrate the Kilkenny 400 Fruit Tree project took place  at the Orchard site in Kilkenny Castle on Monday 21st June 2010 .   A stone plaque was unveiled by Kilkenny City  Mayor Malcolm Noonan .   The  lives of Susie Long, Barbara Gill, Avril Duffy (Kilkenny Earthwatch group) and Steve Clayton (late husband of Tisha Warner – 400 Fruit Tree project) were also remembered at the ceremony.  The attendance included many of the groups and organisations who planted some 40  orchards around Kilkenny in the last year.

The KKB have been working closely with Future Proof Kilkenny in developing and implementing this wonderful project.   Kilkenny’s 400 Fruit Tree project  marked the 400th Anniversary of the Signing of the Kilkenny City Charter by planting 400 native and heritage varieties of Apple, Pear, Plum, Cherry and other types of fruit trees in new Orchards  throughout the city and environs.  The orchards will improve biodiversity and  habitat for wildlife.

Mayor Malcolm Noonan with Brian Dillon (Future proof Kilkenny) and Elaine Bradshaw (Hon Sec. Keep Kilkenny beautiful). Copyright Keep Kilkenny Beautiful

For more information and video on the  planting:

http://futureproofkilkenny.org/?p=1219

http://futureproofkilkenny.org/?page_id=516

Kilkenny castle and park on the 21st June 2010, Mid summers day! Copyright Keep Kilkenny Beautiful