A look at Bloom 2012

So Bloom in the park is on in Dublin at the moment, Ireland's largest gardening, food and family event that takes place every June bank holiday weekend. (This year from Thursday 31st May - Monday 4th June). Last year 90,000 visitors visited the 70 acre site at the Visitor's Centre in the Phoenix Park, Dublin with similar numbers expected this year. I was there in the glorious sunshine yesterday and an again in the soggy rain today, and the atmosphere was great. Here is a look at some of the gardens that caught my eye over the past two days. 

Ar Gháirdín Cuil by Students from Senior College Dun Laoghaire and Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education 

Ar Gháirdín Cuil was created to celebrate two things; Ireland’s craft heritage and what a nation of skilled people can achieve by working closely together on shared goals.It is a collaborative garden which brings together the skills, knowledge and experience of two vocational colleges. The Senior College Dun Laoghaire and the Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education (with sculptures by artists Brian O’ Loughlin.

Ar Gháirdín Cuil 

The Cystic Fibrosis Garden, in Association with CF Ireland by Erika Reeves of Growing Designs

This garden has been designed by Erika Reeves of Growing Designs to raise awareness of Cystic Fibrosis as the most common inherited disease in Ireland. Conversely it aims to bring attention to the great strides that have been made in research and treatment of the disease. Part of the garden has been devoted to the representation of one of its main characteristics, reduced respiratory function, the remainder of the garden, an open and airy seating area, signifies how medicinal help can alleviate some of the symptoms. It also tries to reflect how the support of family, friends and support networks such as the CF Association play a huge role in the life of a person living and coping with the disease. Sadly an underlying message in the garden, represented by the looming arches, is that Cystic Fibrosis can be treated but at the moment cannot be cured.

Wild Metal Garden by Jack Harte & Frank McGeeney  of Wild Metal

I have shared my love for red in the landscape before in a previous blog post, so it would come as no surprise that this garden caught my attention. 

This garden is the work of garden duo Jack Harte & Frank McGeeney
of Wild Metal. Jack Harte is responsable for the wounderful red metal sculptures in the garden, and makes colourful and unique metal sculptures and ornaments for both public and private open spaces while Frank McGeeney uses his skills in both landscape archutecture and farming to creat the green oaises that suroundes the wounderful art.

Sunken pods in the Wild Metal Garden

Machnamh / Reflection by Deirdre Pender of Talamh Landscapes

The "Reflection" garden is designed by Deirdre Pender to provide a source of quiet contemplation and refuge from busy everyday living.
It draws on the ancient connection of hazel trees and water in Celtic mythology, in particular the sacred stand of hazel trees that hung over the Well of Wisdom in the Otherworld.

The Cavan Crystal Hotel Wedding Garden by Jason Stubbs for KHS Landscaping

This garden is designed by Jason Stubbs prymairally to provide a romantic, enclosed space for wedding parties to have their photographs taken. To acheave this unique backdrop to the garden he  commissioned three vibrantly coloured wrought-iron floral globes. These globes, the largest of which will measure three meters high, rises from swathes of flowering perennials, grouped around strong evergreen shrubs. Jason Stubbs, studied Horticulture and Garden Design with the Royal Horticultural Society and Diarmuid Gavin. Shortly after the programme he was offered a design post within Diarmuid Gavin Designs in Notting Hill London. 

Garden by RTE Super Garden winner Leonie Cornelius

This lovely garden is a recreation of the garden that won Leonie Cornelius the title of RTE's Garden show Super Garden. The theme of the garden is elegance and beauty using reclaimed materials where nature and architecture come together to create a harmonious whole. A customised space that shows how materials that most people would throw out can be used to create something new and extraordinary.


More Great Gardens.


As this post is getting very long, here is just a quick look at a few more of the gardens at bloom. 

Table for 4 by Gary Hanaphy of Landscape Studios Ireland

Angel's Fishing Rods, Mermaid's Tears - A Tale of the Sea by 3Design Gardens

Green House by Deirdre Prince & Patricia Tyrrell

Birds and the Bees Garden by Ben Landers

Bloom is such a huge event there are too many gardens for one blog post, but there are lots more photos and lots more great gardens to be found in my flick album below. Click on the slideshow below to see them all.



You can also find out more about these gardens and the event on the Bloom website http://bloominthepark.com/ or better still, go and have a look for yourself.