Author: Rose

Rosehttp://www.phoenixrosedesign.com/

Tree Planting Day

This way to the Trees!

The local Waterville Park a few blocks from my house is still a work in progress. They’re still adding benches, building workout equpment, and doing some landscaping. On Saturday, March 10, the county council and Ikea hosted a party where everyone in the community could come out and plant trees along the freeway.
Planting trees along the freeway

Great marketing – because Ikea had a raffle (I won a computer backpack filled with goodies), face painting, and provided the trees. The County council provided the equipment and 3 organisers for a few hours.

The first one's almost done

And the community came out and provided their shovels and labor to make the park more beautiful! I got to see some neighbors and their kids – whom I hadn’t seen since last fall. The best was that I had got to invite my friend H and her daughter, C to come have some fun “playing in the dirt”. All told, we planted two trees – the first one, Charlotte and I did – and the second – Charlotte planted by herself!

I'll dig the 2nd one!
Hop on the shovel like a pogo stick

All in all, it was a great day out – planting trees, and adding a bit back to the park that we enjoy so much.

Like an ad for a shovel!

Yay! Trees!

I love Trees!

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Life long Learning for World Book Day

World Book Day Donation

Earlier in February, the my team at work (mostly me) organised a book and art supply drive for the children a local charity creche so they could expand their Library. The crèche specialises in low and no cost childcare to enable parents to avail of employment, training, and education opportunities.

On March 1, 2012, World Book Day, me and my supervisor were pleased to present the crèche with 50 books, some toys and art supplies for the children all raised from the Dublin location’s generosity. That works out to 1 new book per child at the crèche!

Why is it important that we helped by donating books and supplies to the crèche?

• On average, children in economically poor areas have only 1-2 age-appropriate books in their homes
• Inability to read is linked to poverty, dependence on welfare, unemployment, and crime
• Many children don’t read because they don’t own or have access to any books

By donating 50 books – roughly one book per child and expanding the library at Little Learner’s crèche, we’re instilling the children with a lifelong love of reading and learning.

Special Thanks to my team and company for their Generosity!

World Book Day Donation

For more information on world book day please click here : http://www.worldbookday.com/

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Kylemore Abbey Gardens

The remnants of the old Conservatory

Continuing my travels up the West coast of Ireland last summer, I drove from Salthill’s beautiful Galway Bay hotel, through Connemara and its detours, and then on to Kylemore Abbey. Yesterday, I mentioned about the gardens at Kylemore.

view from the High Gardens, Kylemore Abbey

There are several Gardens at Kylemore Abbey – there’s the lower gardens, which are filled with trees and walking paths around Lough Pollacappul. Then, there are the upper gardens. A short drive (or walk) by bus leads you up the hill to the top of the Mountain. When you first get out of the bus, the view (above) is breathtaking and natural. As you walk on the pathway, you begin to see the Walls of the garden – surrounded with these giant trees that were so big that I couldn’t get my arms around.

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The Tea garden cafe is to the right, and as you walk past it, you enter into the first of the walled gardens. Below you can see the interesting layout with the white Victorian greenhouses on the far end, a caretaker’s cottage, and lovely white benches throughout. The second picture is with your back to the caretaker’s cottage, looking toward the entrance.

High Gardens, Kylemore Abbey

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In addition to the caretaker’s cottage (below) which is heated by peat (peat pile 2nd picture) there’s also a second carpenter’s cottage and some ruins (very first picture at the top) of a heated conservatory that is in the process of being restored.

Caretaker's cottage

Peat pile for heating the cottage

Other than the main sculpted garden, there’s also a really nice vegetable garden / herbal remedy garden. This one’s more rustic and has a stream off to the edge.

Grounds of Kylemore Abbey

Lough Pollacappul, Connemara

The stream runs off into a grove of white beech trees.

Grounds of Kylemore Abbey

As I left the upper gardens, It started raining – just in time for me to head back to the Galway Bay hotel. Luckily, I was able to get out the map and avoid all of the fun detours that took me so far out of the way, and get on some main streets to get back to Galway for a massage and a good nights rest with the windows open to the fresh sea breeze.

The next day, I headed back, stopping in Athenry and Clonmacnoise. More from those later.

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