Bloom in the park

The 11^th Bloom in the Park festival has opened its doors in Phoenix Park, Dublin, for another extravaganza of beautiful blooms, stunning show gardens and inspirational talks, workshops and events that will have you buzzing with enthusiasm and ideas to bring back to your own garden.

Launched by Bord Bia in 2007 as a showcase for garden plants, garden design and horticulture, Bloom is Ireland’s answer to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and is the highlight of Ireland’s gardening year. Nearly a million people have flooded through its gates over the years to enjoy gorgeous gardens, good food and great craic.  

This year there are eight main show gardens, with a further 11 smaller gardens too. Enjoy the sights and sounds of Chile with ‘Living the Vida 120’, including plants which thrive in South America but can also enjoy an Irish climate; and sing and dance along with ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’, transporting you straight into a set from the Abba film. The Sustainable Seafood Garden tackles sustainable fishing (complete with fishing boat); ‘Moments in Time’ is a dementia-friendly garden; and ‘The Enchanted Wood’ comes complete with stream, rope bridge and magical treehouse.

As ever, Ireland’s finest growers will be there showing off a superb range of plants, and there are dozens of other activities for all the family including live broadcasts from RTE’s garden, the winning entry from the SuperGarden competition. Enjoy family-friendly entertainment and live music, and sample some of the delicious local produce on offer at the mouthwatering food and cookery stands.

And make sure you visit Sculpture in the Park, a garden installation showcasing new and previously unseen work by more than 40 artists showing how to weave sculpture seamlessly and beautifully into a garden setting.

Bloom in the Park runs until 4^th June. For more details visit bloominthepark.com.