Bloom Show Gardens to pay Floral Tribute to Global Issues

The global fall-out from the rise of “fake news”, the need for a safe-haven for dementia sufferers and making Ireland the best country in the world to be a dog are among the diverse themes and inspiration for the Bloom 2017 show gardens. Run by Bord Bia and now in its 11th year, Bloom showcases the best of Ireland’s horticultural and food industry. This year’s event will take place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin for five days, June 1st – 5th, over the June bank holiday weekend.

According to Bord Bia, Bloom 2017 will feature 22 spectacular show gardens created by award winning garden designers. Organizations such as Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin; Enable Ireland; Trocaire; Pieta House and Oxfam/GOAL have collaborated with a number of seasoned and new Bloom designers to create show-gardens capturing a range of societal issues that resonate on a global scale. These include children’s health, disability, mental health, and the need for a more tolerant and peaceful world.

Other engaging show-gardens will include the Despicable Me 3 garden by Universal Studios; a dog-friendly garden in association with Dogs Trust; and gardens exploring Ireland’s farming and food production heritage; Dublin City’s plans to ‘green’ the city; and an innovative tidal water-landscape garden.

Speaking at the launch yesterday, Gary Graham, Bord Bia’s Bloom Show Manager said, “We are really excited about this year’s show gardens which will explore a range of social and cultural issues which are sure to resonate with visitors. Bloom continues to celebrate excellence in our horticulture and food industry with a range of medals awarded to garden designers, nurseries, floral artists, botanical artists and exhibitors over the course of the event. The festival has developed and grown into something which not only makes for a great day out but also offers a platform to learn a wide range of practical information on everything from gardening, to growing fruit and vegetables, cooking, culture, and politics. We have already started work on site in the Phoenix Park and look forward to welcoming everyone in June.”

Key features at this year’s event include:

FLOWERS – Gardening & Horticulture

In addition to the 22 showgardens, the festival also offers a range of floral delights catering for everyone from the avid gardener to those lacking green-fingers. These include:

• Some 13 small but perfectly formed (2m x 3m) postcard gardens created by passionate amateur gardeners from all around the country as well as a Sculpture garden, which is an outdoor gallery promoting art and sculptures created by Irish artists.
• The Floral & Nursery Pavilion which will be brimming with flowers and plants from more than 30 of the very best plant nurseries in Ireland
• The Garden Expert Stage will feature leading experts in horticulture and gardening while the AOIFA Floral Art Stage will give advice and demonstrations on the techniques and artistry required to achieve a perfect floral display.
• The Botanical and Floral Art Exhibition will display in excess of 50 pieces of inspiring art
• The Office of Public Works’ Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden located at the center of the site, allows visitors to learn about the design and layout of this traditional garden structure and all that grows within.

FOOD – Explore & Taste

In keeping with Bord Bia’s remit to promote Irish food and drink, Bloom not only showcases the best of Ireland’s thriving food industry but also provides visitors with a great choice of culinary options to fuel their day. This includes:

• The Food Village will host over 100 Irish food producers in both the Bord Bia Food Markets and Love Irish Food marquees
• The Bord Bia Quality Kitchen Stage will feature more than 25 live cookery demonstrations from Ireland’s best-loved chefs including Neven Maguire, Catherine Fulvio, Rory O’Connell and Roz Purcell to name but a few.
• The Bloom Inn will feature some of Ireland’s best craft brewers and distillers and the BBQ Bliss area will offer tasty summer barbecue delights including Bord Bia quality assured steaks and burgers, fish dishes and international fayre
• The GIY Zone will once again include the Food Matters Stage with daily workshops, discussion and debate bringing together Ireland’s leading food writers, chefs nutritionists, and journalists
• In addition to the artisan stalls, guests can also dine at Bistro Bloom, the Country Crest Restaurant and a range of food vendors located around the site
• Bord Bia will host a range of interactive and educational displays to communicate its work in the promotion of fresh produce and Origin Green which aims to make Ireland a world leader in sustainability

FUN - Family & Entertainment

• RTE will broadcast live from the event including the Super Garden finale, two Bloom Live TV shows presented by Aine Lawlor and Marty Morrissey and regular weather updates. The RTE set at Bloom will also host activities for all ages including live TV and radio broadcasts, children’s entertainment, music on the grass and lots more.
• Bloom has always been popular with children, and this year will be no exception! ‘Budding Bloomers’, the children’s area, will host a vibrant mixture of family-friendly features to keep children of all ages entertained and active in an effort to play, learn and grow at Bloom. The O’Egg Fun on the Farm events will also offer hands-on farming activities and demonstrations for children and their families.
• Banter by Jim Carroll will once again host a range of lively discussions, talks, rows and rants on topical issues with leading commentators
• Music education and festival company “YouBloom” will bring a range of exciting new and unsigned music acts to perform in the picnic area at Bloom over the five days
• ·The Keelings “Love to Grow” learning zone will allow children to plant their own strawberries
  • The Conservation Area will host the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Association and the Irish Wildlife Trust, among others

FEATURES - Craft, Fashion & Lifestyle

• The Irish Craft Village supported by Design & Craft Council of Ireland will present a selection of work from some of Ireland’s most creative designers and makers, as well as a series of in-person craft demonstrations
• Debenhams catwalk will showcase fashion trends and looks for summer 2017 from a range of exclusive designers and will host a Style Clinic with their personal shopper team and beauty partners Lancôme and Viktor & Rolf.
• Solus Brightest at Bloom returns for Bloom 2017 and once again they will be searching for the best-dressed visitor to the event

Tickets
Tickets are on sale now on Ticketmaster and can also be purchased at the gate. Ticket prices vary from €16 - €22.50 and children under 16 go free.

For more information visit www.bloominthepark.ie or follow Bloom on Facebook and Twitter @bloominthepark.

New and returning sponsors for this year’s event include FBD Insurance, Irish Independent and the Office of Public Works.

Source: HortiTrends News Room

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