Individuals, Galway City Council, Local business, Local and National Policymakers
A high publicised garden competition encouraging the people of Galway to replace traditional lawns with more sustainable gardening practices. The aim is to encourage the growing and eating of local, seasonal, fresh food, and to encourage biodiversity.
Suggested award categories:
– Best Overall Edible Garden
– Best Vegetable Garden
– Best Herb Garden
– Best Fruit Garden
– Best Wildflower Garden
– Best Allotment Plot
– Best Food Product
– Most Sustainable Community Garden
– Best Recycled Garden Sculpture
The awards would require a marketing campaign that would be more substantial than the Tidy Towns garden award section. One way of doing this would be to create some gardens in unused public spaces. These “Council Gardens” would work as propaganda for the awards and for the City Council.
Criteria would differ from the traditional Tidy Towns garden awards in that:
– Native planting would be preferred.
– Pesticides and weedkillers may not be used. Soil testing may be used in the Vegetable Garden category.
– Evidence of growing from seed and sourcing of quality seed will be looked at.
There is potential for including local business and creating new business and creating community involvement.
As well as actively encouraging healthy living, the awards would also work as an educational tool.
A Vision for Galway 2030 