Bord Bia today (Wednesday 15th April)announced its plans for Bloom 2009 which will take place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin over the June Bank Holiday weekend. 'Grow Your Own' is a central theme to the event, which has attracted over 100,000 visitors since its inaugural staging in 2007. As part of this year's show, Bord Bia will build a replica of First Lady Michelle Obama's Whitehouse Garden to promote the importance of healthy eating and to educate visitors on planting, harvesting and cooking your own food.
According to Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia, "Bloom has continued to evolve since its launch and this year will reflect the rapidly changing environment that consumers are now experiencing. In times of economic uncertainty the role of the garden becomes increasingly important and we begin to recognise the significant health, social, economic and environmental benefits of gardening. This is reflected in the widespread trend in "growing your own" and the rise in both home and garden entertainment. Bloom 2009 will offer ideas and inspiration to help all those who wish to explore the full possibilities and make the most of their gardens."
Flora and Fauna
Bloom 2009 will include 25 show gardens from Ireland's top horticultural talent, complemented by a spectacular floral pavilion featuring the best of Irish plants and flowers. Both the show gardens and the floral displays will be judged by international independent judging panels, including Chelsea Flower Show adjudicator, Andrew Wilson. Gold, silver gilt, silver and bronze medals will be awarded based on strict guidelines addressing both horticultural skills and design superiority. In 2008, 48 medals were awarded.
"This year, some show gardens will be constructed on limited budgetsasmany visitors want a beautiful garden but are likely to have less disposable income to achieve it. Some of our gardens are designedto show what can be achieved when a professional designer is engaged, often with the gardenowner getting 'dug in' and carrying out the planting and unskilled labour themselves" said Gary Graham, Bloom Project Manager, Bord Bia. "We've seen an increase in designers using green walls, plants and lawn, rather than hard landscape materials, as more people turn to the garden as a place to unwind, de-stress and to gather with friends and family" he added.
Fiann O'Nuallain, a medal winner at Bloom 2007 and 2008, has joined forces with UNICEF Ireland to create a garden aimed at encouraging Ireland's younger generation to learn more about horticulture and climate change. In preparation for Bloom, Fiann will work with a group of students aged between 14 - 17 years who are part of UNICEF Ireland's nine month climate change programme. These students are 'climate ambassadors' who will represent Ireland at an international summit in Copenhagen this December.
Bloom 2009 will also include a garden designed by Rosa O'Connell from Cork, former vet and winner of RTE's Super Garden series, which aired in 2008. Rosa beat off strong competition to win the first series of the show and is currently building a career as a garden designer. Rosa's Bloom garden is inspired by a WB Yeats poem entitled 'In the Seven Woods'.
The OPW, who provide the 70 acre site for Bloom, will open its walled kitchen garden to the public, which has been restored to its original Victorian style. The garden will allow visitors to learn more about the growing of fruit, vegetables and flowers and during the 5-day event, the Phoenix Park gardeners will be on hand to answer any questions. The GLDA (Garden and Landscape Designers Association) will also run daily workshops on garden design, tips on material choices and optimising your garden makeover budget.
As the nation searches for innovative ideas at a low cost, the students from Senior College Dun Laoghaire, under the auspices of design tutor Barry Lupton, have created an inspirational garden on a minuscule budget. "The only cost implications are a can of spray-marking paint, petrol for the lawnmower and our packed-lunches" explained second-year design student, Fiona Crudden. "Our mown grass labyrinth, inspired by the seasonal calendar, will provide visitors to Bloom with an opportunity for rest and reflection. Labyrinths can be found in almost every faith and culture across the world and being such a strong global symbol of reflection and growth, we felt it was particularly apt for Ireland 2009."
Whitehouse Garden comes to Phoenix Park
Bord Bia will recreate the recently launched Whitehouse vegetable garden at Bloom. The garden will incorporate a range of the vegetables chosen by Michelle Obama, in addition to some of Ireland's favourite vegetablessuch aspotatoes, cabbage and turnips. Bord Bia also plans to feature a 'Best In Season' plot and a community garden with a number of helpers to provide top tips and advice.
Fun for all the family
Bord Bia is encouraging families to come along and enjoy a day long stay at Bloom. This year, kids can enterfree of charge and the event will incorporate many more family orientated attractions and activities. Children's workshops and classes will include everything from pottery making and basket weaving to how to build a bird table and tips on growing organic food. Imaginosity, the children's museum based in Sandyford, Co. Dublin, will also be onsite running story telling tents among other interactive activities.
Crafty Work
For the second year running, the Crafts Council of Ireland will bring a mix of craft experiences to Bloom. Unique large-scale sculptural pieces by five designer-makers will be on show, while the Craft Village will see up to 30 craft makers showcasing a variety of disciplines including glassmaking, woodturning, ceramics, jewellery, candle-making and more. In addition, the Irish Craft Guilds will host daily demonstrations such as felt-making, basket-making and calligraphy.
Food Glorious Food
From relishes and pies to breads and farmhouse cheese, Bloom will host a large artisan food market with over 40 traders selling quality artisan produce. There will also be a Food Village offering family meals, food on the go and it will incorporate a large picnic area.
Other key features at this year's event include daily cookery demonstrations; live entertainment and seminars on a wide range of topics including recycling and allergy free planting. The gardening stage will also host a 'Plant Clinic' where visitorsare encouragedto bring their home plants for inspection by a panel of experts.
Bloom has secured a number of high profile sponsors including Keelings, the North County Dublin based fresh produce company, who return for the third year; ERP (European Recycling Platform), Bord na Mona, Woodies, Failte Ireland and LifeFibre Co.
Tickets are on sale on www.bloominthepark.com or by calling 0818300260, with significant discounts available in advance of the show. No booking fee applies.
Bloom 2009 will run from Thursday May 28th to Monday June 1st