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THE TENTH ANNUAL Bloom festival is happening this weekend in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
There’s a wide range of imaginative designs on display – from tributes to the children who died in 1916 to Chinese temple gardens.
Between them, the Bloom designers have hundreds of years of experience in creating and maintaining their gardens. They’ve been working hard for the past three weeks to get their offerings ready in time to be judged and viewed by the public.
So… Want to get your garden in shape for the summer months, but don’t know where to start?
TheJournal.ie spoke to just a few of the designers at Bloom to get their top tips for gardening at home.
The award-winning Brian Burke designed GOAL’s Damascus Courtyard War and Peace Garden at Bloom this year.
He knows a thing or two about show gardens and exhibits and said people shouldn’t try to create what they see at festivals like Bloom:
There’s an imperative in the show garden setting that you plant very densely, that you create density, that you create quantity and you create lushness, people often make the mistake of trying to recreate that at home.
Instead of copying what you see, his top tip is to give your trees and plants room to breathe in your garden:
At home you need to give plants a bit more breathing space.
Fiann Ó Nualláin has plenty of experience at Bloom having participated in all ten of the festivals.
He has designed 19 gardens altogether for the annual event and this year one of his creations is all about 1916 and the children who died during the Rising.
His advice is to wear suncream while gardening, but along with that he also gave some unexpected dietary advice:
Eat more tomatoes, because tomatoes have lycopene contained in them and the more lycopene you ingest into your body, the more melanin you get, and melanin makes you tan, not burn.
The youngest ever participant at Bloom, Sofi Dosa, believes the most important thing is to be organised in your garden, and plan everything beforehand.
She said:
My top tip, organisation, that’s always number one, and planning, planning, plan yeah plan.
So. Yes… That’s you told.
Alan Rudden, designer of the Santa Rita Living la Vida 120 Garden at this year’s festival, has several Bloom medals to his name to date.
The long time competitor gave a simple tip of keeping your garden neat and tidy, which everyone can follow at home:
Paint your boundary walls and keep your grass verges clipped and clean look.
One of the most relaxing spaces at Bloom is the Savills Face to Face garden, which is meant to encourage conversation rather than living your life through a smartphone.
The designer, Andrew Christopher Dunne, believes the number one thing any gardener should do is enjoy their surroundings.
It doesn’t matter what you do or how good your garden is, enjoy it.
Bloom is on between now and Monday, for more information about tickets click here.
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The Labour party, always well meaning in opposition, talk the talk until the get in to government the wou6 make any right wing party proud .
How do I run for the election? I could do with a 6 figure salary and absolutely no consequences for telling lies or doing anything wrong in my job. #VoteMe
@TheMinisterForCraic: and expenses so you can buy lunch for your cronies without needing receipts!
@Tessa Madden: I’ll buy everyone who votes for me lunch. I’ll also promise you anything you want just for your vote. Then when I get in I’ll do whatever I want in terms of decisions, I’ll ignore all of the promises I said and I’ll fill my pockets as much as I can in this short time in charge because I couldn’t careless about the future of Ireland, the future of my own family is all I care about it. #VoteMe
@TheMinisterForCraic: not to mention a fat pension for life after the gravy train reaches the terminus.
Ivana Back? Is she new, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of her or of her having an opinion no one asked.
@This time its personable!: Poor Ivana. God love her. She should cop on and get a real job.
Jesus labour are the gift that keep on giving ha. Alan Kelly in charge and all of a sudden then thobk they have a conscience. Would make ya possibly get them your No.4 vote. Almost. God love her hasn’t a hope and either do FG on retaining the seat, with their voice of a generation ( with supreme Court parents and grandparents) candidate. Both really understand the working man
Another Has Been
@pat seery: you have to be someone to start with before you become a has been…
@pat seery: Very poor grammar. “Another was”.
@Paul Jude Redmond: A neverwasser
If people don’t get out and vote, nothing will change.
@Jules:
Vote for who?
@The Grand Nagus: whoever you choose, but vote. The generally low turnout of voters perpetuates the poor standard of government
@Jules: no it’s the candidates that perpetuates the poor stand of government!
@JongaFe: it’s both
Can’t stand listening to her, still trying to get into Government hopefully not a hope
Labour’s vision of Ireland became FGs version of Ireland when in government. Reduced to six seats , thats when they discovered the road to Damascus moment..
Just a question. Has Ivana won a “popular vote” election in the past?
Some people just can’t take no for an answer
Serial loser going to lose another election.
Another well heeled socialist.. Like Mickey D’s daughter, if you can’t win a real election take a handy number in the Senate spouting oh so progressive platitudes that mean nothing. Our political class are useless. Bacik offers nothing only soundbites for affluent liberals. Labour lost touch with working people a long time ago.
There hasn’t been a good leader of the Labour Party since Dick Spring, Ivana puts her name forward in every election that arises, seanad, council, presidentdency and now have another go at becoming a TD, which she has done enough time and not be elected, this by-election is in constituency where I live, personally I can’t see her been elected, certainly not by residents who live in the working class areas such as myself.
Zzzzzzzz
You have to hopes no hope and Bob hope
Absolutely useless person. Chocolate teapot springs to mind. Never forget labour cutting the ribbon on a soup kitchen.
Bacik has never been elected. That is not going to change.
As she takes a 70,000eur a year salary from taxpayers for her unelected position of senator, she can properly be regarded as a thief.
The Seanad is a stain on Irish democracy.
Bacik is too smart for her own good. Lacks personality. You would never win an arguement against her. Pity as she got bags of potential.
@Rob Jones: if she was that great she wouldn’t have failed to be elected in any of her 3 previous attempts at a Dail seat.
@Rob Jones: Being an excellent lawyer doesn’t make her a good public representative. She should stick to law and teaching. She has no chance. Labour is a dead party to the working class after IPhone-Joan.
@Paul Whitehead: “Labour is a dead party to the working class after IPhone-Joan.” Don’t forget Alan Kelly and Eamon ‘Labour’s way or Frankfort’s Way’ Gilmore. No way Labour…Just go away.
@Billy Big Baws: the comment about her name is uncalled for. It’s a Czech name i think
A health and welfare service from CABLE to the grave ??? So when does this service become available?
Bacik is head and shoulders in intellect above most Irish politicians which means of course she’s never elected. I’m amazed she’s never got in somewhere. I’d vote for her if I was in DB South. I don’t always agree with her but at least she has ideas
Whatever your views on the Labour Party Ivana Bacik is a good opreator with a long track record on social issues and would be a great addition to the Dáil. She does not deserve the negativity on show in these comments.
Any prospective candidate talking about house prices from this constituency smacks of hypocrisy.
@Billy Big Baws: Igno rant, rac ist lo ut.
She does know and remember labours vision changes when they get into government..what was it… labours way not frankfurts way
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