Landscaping and biodiversity at St. Mary’s Mansions

Ingrid Swan, Landscape Designer at Clúid, tells us about the recent work carried out at St. Mary’s Mansions, Dublin 1.

“Work to improve the quality of the landscaping and to enhance the biodiversity in the courtyard at St. Mary’s Mansions was completed in 2024.

Approximately 90% of the planting had failed. This was caused by the soil compaction and the wrong plants being chosen for the soil, light and moisture levels.

The courtyard was very ‘flat’, and the layout allowed people to walk through planting beds. During intensive play, it was inevitable that damage to the planting would occur.

The courtyard design was tweaked to control desire lines (unplanned small trails) and prevent trespass through planting beds. Mounds, low walls, hedging and benches were positioned to direct movement through the courtyard and protect the planting. All these elements were also intended to improve the privacy of ground floor apartments where possible.

Adult zones were created to allow people to sit with a degree of privacy and protection from play.

We were incredibly fortunate to be gifted benches by Cushman & Wakefield. These benches had built-in planters, and they were used to retain mounds and provide seating in the new adult zones.

The planting beds at each door were replanted with plants that tolerate dry, shady conditions.

The lawn was lifted and the building material beneath was lifted and removed. We could then install a drain beneath a grit layer to improve drainage and prevent a return to the compacted conditions. A new soil type containing sand, which encourages drainage and combats compaction, was used over the entire lawn.

All works were carried out by Redlough Landscapes with the planting being undertaken by Clúid staff.

We could never have anticipated how well Redlough would engage with the children on the scheme. As the project progressed, a number of the kids joined in on the regular maintenance and watering of the planting. They were great company, really enthusiastic about the changes and an enormous help.

The planting scheme is designed to provide year-round interest for the residents. The scheme will change throughout the seasons with new plants coming into flower and foliage changing colour. The seedheads will add interest and the plants can self-seed to fill in any gaps.

The plants filled in rapidly, shading out weeds and reducing maintenance. After 2 years of regular maintenance, the time required will dramatically reduce because the weed seed stock in the soil will be depleted.

The landscaping is now in the capable hands of the Tommy Walker, the Building and Grounds Attendant at St. Mary’s Mansions.

Protective fencing will remain in place until the hedging establishes.

The hedging will prevent trespass across the newly installed mounds and help to protect the 1130 newly installed plants.

The amendments and planting should offer more opportunities for imaginative play and an improved sensory experience. We really hope that what we have achieved, with the help of the community, will be a huge benefit to everyone.