A children’s hospice, a Cork cancer support centre, a North Dublin nature reserve, and a primary school in Kildare will be donated plants and other design materials from the Bord Bia Bloom Show Gardens this year.
The ‘Coming Home to Nature’ garden designed by Nicola Haines for Fingal County Council, which was awarded the best large garden at Bord Bia Bloom 2024, announced that all components of the garden will be rehomed to nature reserves and public gardens in the Fingal region, after the event. The perennials and shrubs will be donated to Shackleton Gardens, Clonsilla, and the native trees, building materials, and large pond will go to Turvey Nature Reserve.
The plants from Rewild!, designed by Nóra Tombor, and The Mind Yourself Garden, designed by Sarah Buckley, will go to Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice in Dublin. Both designers are Bord Bia Bloom Cultivating Talent Winners 2024, sponsored by Westland Horticulture. All elements of the 2024 Super Garden winning design, Johnny Dooley’s ‘Back to the Future’ garden, will go to Castledermot National School, Co.Kildare. The ‘Tusla Fostering Garden – ‘Together We Grow’ (designed by Robert Moore and sponsored by Tusla – Child and Family Agency) will be donated to a children’s residential home. The plants and materials from the ‘Early Cancer Detection is Key’ garden, (designed by David Gallagher and sponsored by the Marie Keating Foundation and AstraZeneca) will be donated to The Cork Arc Cancer Support Centre.
Jim O’Toole, Bord Bia Chief Executive commented: “As always, there has been a great public reaction to the show gardens and it is wonderful that elements of these gardens can be enjoyed after Bloom. Repurposing the gardens is in keeping with the sustainable ethos of the festival and the environmental message of the gardens, designed to enhance biodiversity and protect nature.”
Show Garden Awards
A total of 19 medals** were awarded to show gardens, including eight medals to garden designers exhibiting for the first time at Bord Bia Bloom.
More awards will be announced over the weekend, including the People’s Choice Award, chosen by the public. Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite show garden using the unique text number located at each garden, with the winner announced on Sunday afternoon. Also to be announced is the Designer’s Choice Award, in which the participating garden designers select their favourite show garden.
Bord Bia Bloom continues in the Phoenix Park until Monday June 3rd. To stay up to date with #BordBiaBloom news, sign up to the Bloom Ezine at bordbiabloom.com and follow us on social media – @BordBiaBloom on X, Instagram and Facebook.
