Over 50,000 people are expected to attend the Bloom 2007 garden festival in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, over the June bank holiday weekend. Hosted by Bord Bia and sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, the organisers hope the event will rival the Chelsea Flower Show in the coming years.
Bloom 2007, which will feature over 30 show gardens and interactive installations that have been created by Ireland's top designers, will be officially opened by the President, Mary McAleese, tomorrow morning. Each garden has a distinctive theme, ranging from traditional through to contemporary influences. Many incorporate unique features, such as a 1969 Morris Minor, a sauna room and outdoor shower and even the "Berlin Wall" .
Environmental and social issues are very much in evidence, with themes ranging from recycling through to homelessness. Bloom 2007 will be the largest event of its kind an Irish audience has seen. Bord Bia will be using the event to showcase the best of Irish food by hosting a large outdoor food market and a specialty food pavilion beside a picnic area within the site.
The showcase will include daily entertainment; creative workshops; cookery demonstrations by Ireland's top chefs; arts, crafts and sculpture displays; outdoor food markets; a variety of speciality garden retail exhibits; a family "fun learning zone"; and Ireland's largest ever nursery and floral display.
The event will reflect the expanding interest in gardening here, which has been spurred by the new affluence in Irish society - we now spend almost €1 billion annually on flowers, shrubs and trees for our homes and gardens and amenity horticulture here has grown by 71 per cent in value in the past four years.
Apart from the 30 gardens, there will be 50 exhibitors of nursery and floral displays under canvas. These will be located close to the "Taste Sensations Pavilion" with its restaurants. The pavilion will be sited beside a farmers' market, where 40 artisan food producers will display and sell their food. Local authorities, town councils and city councils can compete in the hanging basket and container competition.
In the garden competition, gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to garden designers by the specialist garden advisory Group. Gardens will be judged on the morning of May 31st and awards will be announced on June 1st. A spokeswoman for the board said yesterday advance bookings for Bloom 2007 already stood at nearly 5,000 tickets. Many have been sold for tomorrow's preview evening which runs from 4-8pm and costs €50.
The show will then be open to the public on Friday, June 1st, from 10-8pm, Saturday from 10-6pm, Sunday from 10-6pm and 10-6pm on bank holiday Monday. Adult tickets cost €15 if purchased in advance and for arrival before noon, €18 for access at any time of the day, and €20 if the tickets are purchased on site.
On the same admission basis, family tickets (two adults, two children) are €35, €40 and €45, while prices for under-16s are €7.50, €9 and €10. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.bloominthepark.comor by calling 0818-300-260.