'Out of this world': Waterford gardener thrilled with Bloom win
Deirdre and Janette O’Rourke from Kay's Flower School in Dublin at the first day of Bord Bia’s 17th Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Thursday morning. Picture: Stephen Collins / Collins
A Waterford pharmacist who won a prestigious award at this year’s Bloom festival said he thought he missed his big chance to enter the competition after covid hit and the event was cancelled.
Joe Kelly, from Dungarvan, was one of several winners at the opening day of Bord Bia Bloom at the Phoenix Park in Dublin on Thursday.
Mr Kelly, 54, said he was delighted to receive a bronze award for his self-funded display 'Out of This World', which included a UFO that crashed landed into a garden from the past.
He told the : “It is a typical tiny country garden with a tool shed a vegetable garden and a bench with the newspaper. It reflects any person who can sit and enjoy the simple life and life in the garden from way back.
“Then this UFO appears in it after crash landing and wrecking the fence, and it changes everyone’s life.
“It is based on a culture garden. I wanted a prop that was different to show the past garden and the future and what would our future generation think of how we are managing our gardens.
“I did apply to enter in 2020. We were accepted but Bloom was cancelled because of covid so I didn’t know if I’d get it again. I contacted them and someone pulled out and we got the space.
“I got a bronze, and I didn’t expect to win anything, but I am thrilled”.
The annual garden festival, the biggest of its kind, has 22 show and feature gardens on display this year, as well as 760 exhibitors onsite.
More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event, with Met Éireann forecasting that temperatures will stay in the high teens for the bank holiday weekend.
Bloom was officially opened by President Michael D Higgins on Thursday morning, who used the opportunity to warn about the “consequences of climate change in Ireland”.
The President said: “We have to make ourselves aware of how the consequences are unequal as to how they fall on those who are dying, those who are displaced — the imbalance between those who are carrying these consequences and those who contributed to where we find ourselves in terms of the climate change which has been provoked.”
The Best in Category winners included “First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery” by Oliver and Liat Schurmann, which was sponsored by the Department of Children.
There were seven gold medal winners including Nicola Haines' “Citroen Power of One” display for an urban garden. “I’m so delighted with the award and thank my father who really helped me do this as well as others." she said.
“All of the plans of the garden have a function — this is an urban front garden and there are ways to combat climate change and to contribute to your community and to wildlife as well.
“The plants filter and help fight against pollution, and then there is the importance of water, and rainwater, it is a really valuable resource to save it, store it and use it, and to enjoy the journey of watching how you can save it.
“We need to preserve our water, and anyone can make a difference in their front garden. We can all try and store rainwater. This display is here two weeks and already the wildlife has flocked to it. I’m working on it since 2018 and it took three weeks to install”.
Another huge attraction at this year’s event is the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Musical Garden”, designed by Tom Leavy and sponsored by Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
The original chair and hat from the stage show is on display and the design won a silver gilt award.
While “The Raising Amazing Garden by Tusla Fostering”, which was designed by Linda McKeown and sponsored by Tusla was also a big attraction and won a Silver Award.
The display shows how children in care can be protected in the home by foster carers, while also viewing a stunning garden from their safe space inside.
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