The Trócaire garden highlights how land is stolen from vulnerable people by corporate land grabs and how Irish people can show support for the world’s poorest countries, who are often defenseless against these attacks.
Split into two areas to represent Ireland and Guatemala and divided by water to symbolise the ocean, the garden illustrates the historical similarities between both countries. Just as land rights were a major issue in Ireland of the mid-to-late 19th century, many families in Guatemala today live under the constant threat of violent eviction from large corporations.
All elements of the garden are sourced from Irish suppliers and following Bloom, some of these will be integrated into an existing garden. Trócaire will re-use featured art for promotional purposes and all other unused items will be recycled.
BARRY KAVANAGH
Originally from Ashtown, Dublin 15, Barry Kavanagh lives and works in Bailieborough, Co. Cavan, teaching horticulture and design with the Cavan-Monaghan Education Training Board.
In 2015 Barry founded a social enterprise called Nature’s PATCH Network Ltd, which helps community groups devise natural landscape and biodiversity plans for towns and villages. Barry is a regular participant at Bloom, designing Postcard Gardens in 2013 and 2014, the latter a Best in Show. His first large show garden, Across Boundaries, won a Gold Medal and the coveted People’s and Designers’ Choice Awards in 2016. His 2018 show garden for Trócaire, Resistance, was awarded a Gold Medal.
