Why community gardening is good for staff morale

Galway City Partnership’s new rooftop garden received €15,000 through the Community Climate Action Fund, but it is possible to set up a small rooftop garden on a small budget.

Changing Ireland visited on a windswept Friday and was greeted by enthusiastic staff eager to show us their produce. (Thanks for the onion!)

All of the veg and salads are for GCP staff to use during their lunch breaks and staff have enjoyed many salads over the first summer. All agreed the project is great for morale.

It is also suitable, along with other community gardens, for Tús placements.

As enterprise officer and climate justice co-ordinator Paul O’Donnell explained, “The garden is a pilot funded by Galway City Council under the Climate Action Fund looking at how we can transform urban spaces to encourage sustainability and people growing their own vegetables.”

If you have a community building with a flat rooftop you also could look at the idea of a community garden like this. As Mary McHugh, SICAP co-ordinator, said:

“If we can manage to do it here, anyone can do it. It’s very good for bringing staff together, especially in the good weather, particularly in the summer, going outside to pick things, there’s something really cool about that.

“It’s a healthy option and it’s a bit of fun. It encourages us to go out and use the balcony and the rooftop more than what we would have done in the past. We have had meetings out here. I think it’s the beginning of something really good,” she said.

Tús leader Sean Lynch agreed, saying that a rooftop garden for small money is a runner: “It would be more difficult, but the setup doesn’t have to be that sophisticated, or that complicated.”

He added, however, that, “It would be advisable if you make the garden boxes from wood to line the boxes That’s the main thing for longevity. Our boxes are made to a very specific form that can last a long time. But it doesn’t have to be that sophisticated. You could start a garden pretty easily.”

While growing produce on a third floor rooftop is a challenge, theft is not an issue and the wind keeps carrot root fly at bay, meaning carrots, parsnips, parsley, and celery grow in peace.