Northsiders on display at Bloom

THE creative talents of several Northside garden designers and enthusiasts will be on display at Bord Bia’s Bloom this June Bank Holiday weekend.

Among them are Alan Rudden, Niall Maxwell, Marina Andreeva, Kevin Dennis, along with the Adult Education Service and students from Cabra Community College, Fingal County Council and the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown.

The five-day event, which returns to the Phoenix Park from May 31 to June 4, showcases the best of Ireland’s horticulture and food industry.

It will feature 20 spectacular show gardens, fabulous floral features, great garden installations and lots of informative talks.

There will also be more than 100 food producers and 25 live cookery demonstrations with some of Ireland’s best-loved chefs as well as a host of activities and entertainment for all the family.

“This will be the 12th year that Bord Bia has hosted Bloom in the Phoenix Park and we are incredibly proud of how the event has developed and evolved over the years,” said Tara McCarthy, CEO, Bord Bia.

“It offers a platform for some of Ireland’s most acclaimed garden designers to showcase their skills, creativity and imagination in developing spectacular outdoor spaces which continue to captivate our visitors.

“It also offers our many hardworking food producers, plant nurseries and food and drinks companies the opportunity to engage directly with the consumers of their products in a relaxed and informal setting.

“And best of all it offers a great day out with something for everyone!”

Visitors this year can see show gardens created by some of Ireland’s most acclaimed garden designers including multi award winning Oldtown-based designers Niall Maxwell and Marina Andreeva.

Sponsored by FBD Insurance their show garden is ideal for spending time in with friends. It draws inspiration from nature and memories of family holidays in places of outstanding natural beauty, transferring them into a modern, suburban context. 

Multi award winning garden and landscape designer Alan Rudden from Westmanstown will be bringing a flavour of Chile to Bloom.

His ‘Living la Vida 120’ garden is a contemporary space that blends arid and Mediterranean planting with strong architectural forms inspired by a visit Alan made to central Chile

The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown’s Horticulture Department in conjunction with the Parks & Green Infrastructure Division of Fingal County Council are also involved in Bloom 2018.

They’ve worked together to create a large show garden that represents the Fingal Way, a planned future pedestrian and cycling network linking communities throughout Fingal.

Entitled ‘The Greener Way for Fingal’, the design demonstrates the potential multiple benefits of public open spaces, such as pedestrian and cycle routes as high-quality green infrastructure that balances environmental, ecological and community needs. 

In addition to the show gardens, there will be a large number of floral installations and gardening features including 13 postcard gardens designed by community groups. 

These include work by VTOS Horticulture students from Cabra Community College who have created an Irish beachfront postcard garden entitled ‘An Eye to Sea’.

Cabra Community College’s Adult Education Service has also created a postcard garden called ‘Grow Your Own Rainbow’. Their garden is an assortment of edible flowers and vegetables that represent each colour of the rainbow. 

Blanchardstown headquartered PACE Social Enterprise has designed an ‘Upcycled Balcony Garden’ for Bloom. It reflects the number of people living in apartments and a greater awareness of the need to reduce, reuse and recycle materials. 

Other creative Northside work to look out for is from Mr Middleton Garden Shop, Dublin 1; Heritage Bulbs, Glasnevin and Teagasc, College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Gardens.

Tickets for Bloom are on sale now from Ticketmaster and can also be purchased on the gate.