On 11 October last, Bord Bia announced the third year of its Cultivating Talent programme. Cultivating Talent seeks out first-time show garden designers for exciting, career-defining opportunities at Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s largest and most spectacular gardening event. Bloom takes place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park every year on the June bank holiday weekend.
Sponsored by Westland Horticulture, which aims to nurture the next generation of garden designers and horticulture professionals, the Cultivating Talent initiative offers financial support and one-to-one mentoring to a first-time Bord Bia Bloom designer.
The programme is designed to kick-start the career of motivated show garden designers, and has seen emerging talent – including Joe Eustace, Nóra Tombor and Sarah Buckley – design and deliver exceptional show gardens at Bord Bia Bloom in 2023 and 2024.
Garden designer Joe Eustace won the inaugural Cultivating Talent programme in 2023, and returned to Bord Bia Bloom with his own show garden in 2024. Speaking about the experience, Joe said:
“I was following Bord Bia Bloom for years as a spectator as I had a huge interest in garden and landscape design, but I would have always thought it was something that was above me. I heard about the Cultivating Talent initiative through my college network. Going from a spectator to being involved has given me a huge boost as a designer. I would say to anyone thinking of applying, 100 per cent go for it.
“It was a great experience,” Joe added. “I learned so much being on-site and seeing how the experts were approaching their gardens. It allowed me to learn about the importance of producing a set of drawings that can be read and applied to the site, and the key differences between designing a show garden versus a client garden, which is where the one-to-one mentorship was invaluable.”
Kerrie Gardiner, Bord Bia Bloom’s Show Gardens and Horticulture Content Manager, said:
“We want to create a pipeline of new talent into Ireland’s horticulture industry. Over the years, we have found that many prospective show garden designers do not put themselves forward to design a garden at Bloom, as they’re concerned about how it will be financed.
“Through the Cultivating Talent initiative, the successful finalist is provided with funding to create their garden, along with mentoring from one of our award-winning show garden designers. We hope this attractive proposition will bring fresh faces to Bloom and provide first time designers with an opportunity to kick-start their careers.”
Bord Bia Bloom 2025 takes place from May 29 – June 2. To get involved, visit bordbiabloom.com/participate.
Who should apply for Bord Bia Bloom’s Cultivating Talent?
Cultivating Talent is open to garden designers and landscape architects who wish to bring their first show garden to Bord Bia Bloom in 2025.
Organisers are seeking designers who have a strong vision for a theme and design that communicates a unique message or story. All gardens should be designed with the environment in mind. Measures to support biodiversity should be incorporated as standard.
The 2025 Cultivating Talent programme is once again sponsored by Westland Horticulture, which is dedicated to empowering everyone with the skills, knowledge and tools for gardening success.
The sponsorship coincides with Westland’s “It’s your little corner of earth” campaign. Applicants are invited to demonstrate how they will bring a corner of earth to life at Bord Bia Bloom 2025.
