Garden festival plays host to exotic designs

INSPIRED equally by the West of Ireland and Indonesia, the public will get its first glimpse of an oriental-inspired garden today. East will meet west when the four-day 2003 Mallow Homes and Garden Festival opens at the town’s Cork Racecourse.

The garden, designed and built by the festival’s artistic director, Dominick Cullinane, goes on display for the first time.

It has been inspired by beauty of the west of Ireland and that of Indonesia and has been submitted as one of Ireland’s entries for next year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

“It is creating and nurturing talent and letting that talent express itself,” he said, as he and his team put the final touches to the exhibit yesterday.

A total of 33 gardens will be on view at the festival.

There will also be an arts and craftsvillage and 200 home and garden exhibits.

Rose of Tralee Tamara Gervasoni will attend the opening of the event.

It is expected to attract 30,000 visitors and reflect the growth of the country’s €431m horticultural amenityindustry. A gardening competition with categories for schools, artists and designers will be judged by Dublin-born Diarmuid Gavin, the garden designer and co-host of the BBC television programme Home Front.

A Design for Nature Competition in association with Foliage Ireland is a new initiative promoting the use of natural products in design.

Hot air balloons, face painting and children’s entertainment will all add to the festive atmosphere at what is regarded as Ireland’s largest gardening festival.

A series of lectures by some of Ireland’s leading gardening experts including Diarmuid Gavin, Charlie Wilkins and Richard Haslam will be also be held during the festival.