After visiting the magnificent Jerpoint Abbey and driving through the town of Thomastown I noticed this lovely place tucked away in what is locally known as the Upper Paddock.
The Upper Paddock is a biodiversity garden that is open to the public every day from 10 am – dusk. It is situated in the northeast corner of The Quay Carpark in the town of Thomastown in County Kilkenny.
The Upper Paddock Thomastown Biodiversity Community Garden was opened in June 2019. The opening of the garden was a culmination of an almost decade-long project, which started in 2011, when the land was leased by Thomastown TidyTowns from the Kilkenny County Council for a 10-year period, at a cost of €10 per year.
Mary Reynolds, Nature Activist and Reformed Landscape Designer designed this Community Garden for Thomastown.
The project forms part of the: All Ireland Pollinator Plan and Re-Wilding project called ’We are the Ark’.
The Upper Paddock Biodiversity Garden is a magnificent space teeming with wildflowers, herbs, and fruit trees.
There are two similar projects in the center of Carlow Town. There is The Barrack Street Biodiversity Garden and An Gairdín Beo is a community garden located on the Old Dublin Road.
Location of The Upper Paddock Biodiversity Garden:
Below are photos I took in September 2021.
