Residents on the northside held their first 'Plant Sale' this afternoon.
Wadelai and Hillcrest Residents Association opened the sale at midday today.
While some parts of the country are being battered with storms, the weather seemed to co-operate.
Residents Association chair Gillian Lloyd Corbett explains how the idea for the sale came to be:
"Dublin City Council have been hugely supportive of us since we established ourselves and very encouraging for us."
"They partner with PACE, which is a social enterprise group."
"People will have probably seen the planters that PACE build and fill with plants around the city."
"With all the restrictions that came in, PACE found themselves with a lesser demand for their plants and planters."
"So DCC said to us - perhaps we could contact PACE and sell their plants on their behalf."
The Association offered to sell plants and planters on behalf of Pace, and the Plant Sale came to be.
Plant sale kicks off at 12, some fabulous plants here! In partnership with @PACE_IRL pic.twitter.com/UoPe8nfAC3
— Wadelai Hillcrest & District Residents Assoc (@WadelaiHillcres) June 13, 2020
Gillian says they had a huge stock of plants available, and it was all gone within an hour.
"We sold 300 plants, about 18 hanging baskets and 6 window boxes, we sold out."
"If we'd had more, we'd have sold more, we sold everything we were supplied with."
"We sold everything by quarter to one, it was wonderful."
More information on PACE - the support group for those with criminal convictions is available here.
And they’re gone! pic.twitter.com/8D2q8rSF0j
— Wadelai Hillcrest & District Residents Assoc (@WadelaiHillcres) June 13, 2020
While measures ease and more businesses open, Gillian says it's a good time to ease into community events like this:
"We had one lady who came to the green, it was her first time out in twelve weeks."
"So she came out to the big green we have at Wadelai and bought some plants, it was lovely."
"It was proper social interaction for her, we had the kids who could carry the plants back to the house for her."
The money raised went toward PACE social enterprise and local community funds.
fabulous! sent in by a lady who received this as a gift from her daughter last month...now thats how you look after your petunias! thanks for taking the time to share this with ushttps://t.co/w47pNLXKhx pic.twitter.com/Mpg0zlWgWe
— PACE (@PACE_IRL) May 28, 2020
Wadelai Hillcrest Plant Sale 2021 A Possibility
There is potential to hold this event again next year according to the Association.
Also opportunities are there to develop it for a society that might not be suffering under a pandemic.
Gillian says they were aware of public health advice during today's sale:
"We were only raging because the restrictions are still in place, we're very conscious of that."
"Hopefully next year we can do it again, if PACE will partner with us again."
"We can make it more of a community event with teas and coffees so people can get to know their neighbours."
Images on this page were kindly supplied by Wadelai Hillcrest Residents Association.
