Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme… It might sound like a line from a Simon and Garfunkel song but these are actually just some of the plants growing in the Cultúrlann’s new community garden 30 feet above the Falls Road.
The herbs are growing alongside lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflower, strawberries, lavender, onions and more in the rooftop plot.
The terrace was built along with the new extension but has only just recently come into bloom, as Aisling Ní Labhrai, Good Relations Officer at the Cultúrlann, explained.
“We got the plants in a few weeks ago and have been growing vegetables and fruit,” she said. “We have the tables and furniture in now too and everyone has been enjoying the tranquility of the garden.”
While the official opening of the garden will not take place until November, when a piece of artwork by Donegal’s Ian Joyce is installed, the community is being invited to come along and enjoy the environment and even help themselves to the garden’s fayre.
“It’s open to absolutely anyone,” added Aisling. “People who work here have been using it for outdoor meetings in the good weather and a lot of our regulars would come and sit here with a book and read for a while but it is also open to anyone in the community who wants to use it.
“Similarly, the fruit, herbs and vegetables are there for anyone who wants to take them.
“The chef in the café here has been using them to cook and anyone else is welcome to do the same. Also, anyone with an interest in gardening can come in here and tend to the plants and shrubs. It’s a community garden for the entire community and we want people to come along and use it.”
