Our three rainwater planters at national schools in the Killarney region are looking great. Spring has definitely sprung and our native plants are coming into bloom. As the planters are prone to getting somewhat waterlogged we have chosen hardy species that can withstand wet and dry conditions. Our planters are planted with the likes of Water Mint which brings a beautiful aroma, Cuckoo Flower, Yellow Flag Iris, and Ragged Robin which bring great colour and food sources for pollinators.
Pollinators such as butterflies, bumblebees, solitary bees, and hoverflies are sure to be drawn to the sweet smells and colour of the plants in the planters. At present, the weather forecast is expected to be dry and warm with plenty of sunlight. Our plants should benefit from this fine spell and the drier weather will contribute towards drying up the planters, which at present, are still wet. We will be installing three more planters in very public sites over the coming months, with the aim of promoting nature based solutions for water management and to highlight potential negative impacts associated with our natural waterbodies. We also aim to highlight the importance of our pollinator species, and how they are invaluable to our well being, and for biodiversity as a whole. The Biosphere Team wishes to repeat its thanks to the host schools, St Olivers, Scoil Bhríde, and Loughquitane NS for hosting our planters and to Kerry County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service for supporting our initiative, go raibh míle maith agat!
