The recently-concluded Tidy Towns Awards presented Cobh Ireland as “All Ireland Pollinator Regional Award”. It comes as no surprise to me and the Cobh locals and probably to the thousand visitors who graced our town because there are just so many flowering plants around. The plants are carefully picked so that there are flowers all year round in the Town Centre and many of the gardens have wild flowers that attract bees and butterflies throughout the seasons.
In keeping with Cobh being one of the charming colourful towns in Ireland, the volunteers of Cobh Tidy Towns want to ensure that there are attractive colors on the plants and flowers on display too. Planning what to plant and when to plant these pollinator plants are important chores these volunteer winners are keen to do.
The waterfront in the Cobh Town Centre is lined with flowerbeds and hanging pots on the light post, extending from the children’s playground to the old Clock Tower. Tourist especially from the cruise ships are welcomed and treated to this lovely colors and smells as they strolled on our historic town.
The moist seafront soil makes an ideal place to grow wildflowers that bloom during spring time. The picture above is a patch of hill ground in front of the Port of Cork Operation Centre and a short walk from another garden-full of flowers in the Titanic Memorial Garden.
Christ Church Rushbrooke yard is another wildflower haven in Cobh. This place is literally buzzing with pollinators during Spring and Summer. This is on the to-prepare-list of Cobh Tidy Towns during Autumn and Winter so they can clear and get it ready for the upcoming blooming season.
A distinct garden in another part of the hill is the Bible Garden, a favorite for the pollinators because there are flowering vegetable and fruits trees too in this area in short walking-distance from St Colman’s Cathedral. This garden has a very peaceful setting and a great place to be attuned with the pollinators around you.
An unexpected but equally unique place to find pollinators is the Old Church Cemetery which is located outside of the Town Centre. Many wildflowers spring here that they installed scanning codes for visitors to identify and learn more about the plants. The walls on the cemetery is a stunning spot to find Navelworths so keep your eye for it.
Cobh Tidy Towns is in the center of all this beautification but it is important to know that the businesses and locals buy into the pride of keeping Cobh a Tidy Town too. Congratulations and well done again to everybody for this award.
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