Bloom flower show gets encore

BLOOM, the country’s largest gardening event, which attracted 50,000 visitors when it was first staged last year, returns to the Phoenix Park in Dublin on the June Bank Holiday weekend.

The focus this year is how caring for plants can improve the quality of life for people of all ages.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Mary Coughlan said that, with greater urbanisation and higher housing density, few people now have the luxury of living in a natural landscape.

“There is however an inherent human desire for the calm and stimulation provided by the planted environment whether it is an elaborate planting scheme or just a few pots. This can come ready-made or through the well and long-recognised therapeutic exercise of caring for plants.

“Bloom, building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, celebrates our relationship with plants and will show many possibilities of how this can improve our quality of life,” said the minister.

Bord Bia — which will again host the event — said it will further build and develop on the themes and features that made last year’s event such a success.

More than 30 show gardens from Ireland’s top horticultural talent will be complemented by a larger and more spectacular pavilion featuring the best of Irish plants and flowers.

Bloom 2008 will also introduce a new Health and Wellness Arena and a craft trail offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy live demonstrations by crafts people at work.

There will be an exclusive preview day on Thursday, May 29, with limited ticket sales, a cookery demonstration stage featuring some of Ireland’s leading chefs, an outdoor entertainment stage and an Irish artisan food market.

A team of experts will judge the show gardens. Medals will be awarded based on strict guidelines addressing both horticultural skills and design superiority.

Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter said the immense public response to Bloom 2007 confirmed the need for a world class gardening event in Ireland.

“It proved that we have both the indigenous design talent and the demand for an outstanding event of scale and quality,” he said.

The event is being run in association with the Office of Public Works which has provided the picturesque setting of the Phoenix Park Visitors Centre as the venue.

Bloom will run from the preview day on Thursday, May 29, to Monday, June 2, inclusive.

* More info can be found at bloominthepark.com