Bord Bia has announced that Ireland’s favourite gardening and lifestyle festival, Bord Bia Bloom, is returning to the Phoenix Park, Dublin, from June 2–6 2022. Now in its sixteenth year, the festival returns to a physical event following two successful virtual #BloomAtHome events.
Commenting on this year’s festival, Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy said, “I am so delighted to share that Bord Bia Bloom will be back in the Phoenix Park this June. The festival is the perfect opportunity for the public to experience and sample the very best of Irish horticulture, food and drink directly from our world-class designers, suppliers and growers, as well as engage with important topics like sustainability, biodiversity, and mental health through beautiful floral design, expert talks and family-friendly exhibits. The entire team is looking forward to welcoming both new and returning visitors back to the Park for the first time in two years!”
With consumer spend on gardening reaching a record €1.2bn in 2020*, Bord Bia Bloom is a fantastic opportunity for the Irish horticultural industry to continue to engage with both new and experienced gardeners who embraced green spaces and gardening during successive lockdowns.
Commenting on this opportunity, Mike Neary, Director of Horticulture at Bord Bia said, “New gardening enthusiasts have emerged over the past two years as many people discovered the mental and physical benefits of gardening for the first time during Covid-19. With restrictions now lifted, the sector will continue to harness this increased consumer interest in gardening and what better place to do so than in the magnificent surrounds of the show gardens and horticultural features in the Phoenix Park.”
Green-fingered community groups can display their skills in a Postcard Garden
Bord Bia has also announced that entries are now open to gardening and community groups from all over Ireland to apply for the popular Postcard Gardens category at Bord Bia Bloom. The Postcard Gardens are small but perfectly formed 3m x 2m plots that can be used to represent a club, locality, or special person from a community.
Gardening clubs, community groups, schools and resource centres can all apply to enter a Postcard Garden and each year a wide range of themes, including mental health, climate change and children’s literature to name a few, are brought to life through the use of plants, creative design and woodwork.
Kerrie Gardiner, Bord Bia Bloom Show Garden Manager said, “The Postcard Gardens are a personal favourite of mine! They offer aspiring gardening groups who may have honed their skills during lockdown a chance to demonstrate their talents, while also inspiring the public to get involved and experience the many benefits of gardening”.
For more information on the Postcard Gardens and to download an application form, visit BordBiaBloom.com. The closing date for applications is March 2nd, 2022.
Early Bird Tickets on sale until March 27th
Early bird tickets are now available to buy from bordbiabloom.com until March 27th, 2022. Providing a discount of 28% for a full price adult ticket, early bird prices range from €15 to €18 and don’t forget – two children under 16 can attend for free with each ticket!
To ensure people enjoy the Bord Bia Bloom experience they know and love in a safe environment, even more event features will be outdoors in 2022 and the expected daily number of visitors to the festival will be capped. Bord Bia is encouraging the public to purchase tickets in advance to avoid disappointment and guarantee attendance on their preferred day over the June Bank Holiday weekend.
To stay up to date with #BordBiaBloom2022 news, sign up to the Bloom Ezine at bordbiabloom.com and follow us on social media – @BordBiaBloom on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
