English lavender, fruit trees and wildflowers greening Portarlington

The greening of Portarlington continued through the summer when Laois County Council set about planting wildflowers, fruitrees and preparing the ground for further work.

Work done was outlined by Philip McVeigh, Senior Executive Engineer, at the Graiguecullen/Portarlington Municipal District meeting on September 15

The said a wildflower area was alongside the Portlaoise Road in Portarlington which involved the planting of 200 English lavender plants. 

Staff also planted 16 fruit trees on the Portarlington to Ballybrittas road just over the railway bridge as well as cleaning up area and planted it with grass seed.

The council has installed 12 signs for wildflower areas and also prepared ground on Portarlington's Link Road for a wildflower area.

Cllr Aidan Mullins, Sinn Féin, complimented the local authority on the wildflower work done.

"It's a great initiative, looks well and enhances the approach roads to the town," she said.

While Cllr Aisling Moran, Fine Gael, expressed frustration at the time it is take to embrace wildflowering, she was happy with  the progress and said it will benefit in another way.

"It saves money as well because you don't have the grass cutting expense," she said.

Mr McVeigh said other work done in the district included the watering of flowers in Stradbally and Portarlington.

However, less pleasant but necessary work was also needed in the form of controlling Japanese knotweed with herbicide across the Municipal District which stretches from Portarlington down to Graiguecullen.

WATCH: 'Blah, blah, blah' - Greta Thunberg blasts world leaders for climate inaction

Man got drunk in first time in pub after Covid