Tradition and Simplicity steal the show as five-time Bloom Gold Medal Winner scoops top award on first day of event

Bloom, Ireland's largest gardening, food and family festival brought to you by Bord Bia will begin its five day run when the gates open to the public this morning at 10am. The festival, which runs through to Monday 4th June takes place on the grounds of the Visitor Centre in the Phoenix Park, Dublin which is celebrating its 350th anniversary this year. The event includes 27 show-gardens, 100 Irish food and drink producers, 40 nurseries and 160 retailers all on a 70 acre site.

Bloom Medal Winners

Judging of the show gardens, nurseries and floral displays was conducted over a two day period by a panel of independent judges comprising of garden experts from Ireland and the UK. This morning a total of 81 medals were awarded including 24 Gold, 14 Silver Gilt, 22 Silver, 17 Bronze and 4 Special Commendations.

The overall large garden category award went to Jane McCorkell from Killsallaghan, County Meath for her entry "Growise 'My Garden'. The garden which was designed as a space that can be recreated by visitors in their own homes incorporating a working garden for horticultural enthusiasts while offering an engaging space for all the family. This is Jane's fifth year competing at Bloom and is her fifth Gold medal and second time to win the overall large garden category award.

Speaking about the show-gardens at Bloom 2012, Gary Graham, Bloom Show Manager said
"We have never had such a diverse range of styles and themes from traditional cottage gardens to ultra modern, from sedate Japanese to dramatic sculptural installations. Most gratifying for me is how designers have used both the 'concept' and 'show garden' categories as communication platforms in highly creative, engaging and fun ways to add to the debate on wider health, socioeconomic and environmental issues.
Jane McCorkell's winning garden revolts against ostentation and garden gimmickry. She celebrates the traditional garden where the physical activity of gardening is as important as the beauty and aesthetics achieved with deep flower borders and magnificent specimen trees. This is not a garden for corporate Ireland or the public; this is a private personal space aptly called 'my garden'".

Overall winners were awarded in each of the categories as follows:

• Large Garden: Growise 'My Garden' by Jane McCorkell
• Medium Garden: Cookie and Creams Reclaimed Sanctuary (RTE Supergarden winner) by Leonie Cornelius
• Small Garden: Greenhouse by Patricia Tyrrell and Deirdre Prince
• Concept Garden: Angel's Fishing Rods, Mermaids Tears – A Tale of the Sea by 3Design Gardens
• Best Nursery: Mount Venus Nursery, Dublin
• AOIFA Floral Art Winner: Marie Dodrill from Portmarnock Flower Club for "Where the Dragonfly Dreams”
  

See the Full List of Medal Winners below

VIP Visitors

VIP visitors to Bloom on opening day will include Bloom Patron President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina who will officially open the event. The President will be brought on a tour of the show-garden area, meet with medal winners and judges and finish with a visit to the Bord Bia Food Village where he will deliver a Presidential address (available to download from www.president.ie .

Other visitors of note throughout the day will include Actress Caroline Morahan, Miss Ireland, Rebecca Maguire, Minister Shane McEntee, TD, Celebrity Chef Neven Maguire and Newstalk's Sean Moncrieff who is broadcasting live from the event.

Additional Features at Bloom

Other features at Bloom include Bord Bia's Food Village which will host the best of artisan food and drink, a Farming for Life feature and the Chef's Summer Stage; children's entertainment, games and an animal farmyard; a tree-climbing exhibition; daily workshops and a craft retail area from the Crafts Council of Ireland; an entertainment stage; picnic area and large retail pavilion.

Sponsors

New and returning sponsors for this year's event include Fáilte Ireland, Love Irish Food, Bord Na Móna, Irish Times, OPW, Rehab, Woodies, Nissan LEAF, Viking, Robert Roberts, Atlantis, Popcorn Ireland, Newstalk, Irish Greyhound Board, Universal Studios, Bewleys Hotel, Lyric FM and Glenisk.

For further information visit www.bloominthepark.com. Regular event information is also posted on www.facebook.com/bloominthepark or you can join the conversation on Twitter @Bloom or using the hashtag #Bloom12.
Tickets for Bloom 2012 can be purchased on the gate and children go free.

A full and detailed traffic plan for the all the weekend activities in and around Dublin will be available on the Garda web site www.garda.ie