Embracing the outdoors for health and wellbeing, planet-conscious living and quality Irish food are some of the many themes that will be explored at Bord Bia Bloom 2024.
Ireland’s festival of flowers and food returns to the Phoenix Park, Dublin, this June bank holiday weekend, May 30 to June 3.
It will comprise a colourful collection of show gardens, displays of Irish food and drink, talks and demos, and live interactive entertainment.
Now in its 18th year, the festival expects to welcome more than 100,000 visitors over five days for an experience rooted in “sustainable living”.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s event, CEO of Bord Bia, Jim O’Toole said: “We are immensely proud of how Bord Bia Bloom has developed as a unique festival experience.
“Bloom was originally founded to provide a premier platform for showcasing Irish horticulture, food, and drink and we have succeeded in delivering on this vision.
“As we look forward to the 18th year, the festival is more relevant than ever. Bloom offers visitors the opportunity to sample quality products and innovations, while also providing an interactive, national platform to address important societal issues and hear stories from communities around Ireland.”
Gardens galore
At the centre of Bord Bia Bloom, a total of 22 small, medium and large show gardens and feature gardens will reflect colourful examples of the most recent trends and advancements in garden design.
Environmentally conscious gardens, designed with nature to enhance biodiversity, is a returning theme this year.
Many of this year’s gardens will be relocated after the festival as permanent gardens elsewhere.
Crafting clever garden designs in small spaces is highlighted with the Sun Harness Garden by Hendrik Lepel, sponsored by Peppermint Farm Glasshouses, which demonstrates how to create a microclimate by harnessing the sun’s energy.
Another includes ‘A Space for Possibilities: The Modular Container Garden’ by Louise Checa, which showcases a garden that can adapt and move in tandem with different life stages.
There will also be two balcony gardens which show how to maximise smaller spaces, including Óir – The Zarbee’s Garden by Leonie Cornelius.
Along with the display of show gardens, gardening enthusiasts may find inspiration in the Postcard Gardens, which include 13 small but perfectly formed pop-up gardens that are designed and built by community groups, schools, and training groups from across Ireland.
A lively Nursery Village featuring some of Ireland’s leading nurseries, floral displays from the Ireland’s finest floral artists and a botanical art exhibition.
According to Laura Douglas, head of Bord Bia Bloom and Brand Partnership: “A ticket to Bloom promises a great day out whether coming with friends, a partner or family.
“With our beautiful show gardens, live entertainment, fantastic selection of food and drink and five stages jam packed with talks and demos, there is simply no other festival like Bloom in Ireland!”
Food and entertainment
Across five stages in the 70ac site, visitors can discover tips and tricks on gardening, gastronomy and sustainable living in a series of talks and demos.
The Food Village will feature almost 100 of Ireland’s leading Irish food and drink companies along with a host of foodie features.
Attendees can also enjoy live cookery demonstrations from some of Ireland’s leading chefs including Darina Allen, Neven Maguire and Catherine Fulvio.
The Quality Kitchen stage will also host interviews with more than 40 Irish food producers.
On the Sustainable Living Stage, 40 talks will take place throughout Bloom which will tackle issues such as food waste, plastic pollution, the importance of pollinators, while sharing sustainable food solutions, tips for home energy saving and natural skincare hacks.
Meanwhile, the Garden Stage will welcome Bloom show garden designers past and present, along with garden experts and specialist plant nurseries, floral art groups andconservation groups for a mix of helpful talks about gardening and garden design.
Bloom will host live entertainment on the Main Stage, while the ‘Budding Bloomers’ area is aimed at keeping children engaged and entertained with a food school, workshops on bugs, books, birds and bubbles; games and a toddler play area and much more.
For shopping enthusiasts, the Design & Crafts Council Ireland area, the indoor Retail Pavilion and outdoor retail area and the Plant Emporium will feature quality products for home and garden.