Step into a world of pure imagination as Garden Show Ireland announces its return to the historic Antrim Castle Gardens in June for a three-day gardening extravaganza.
Now in its 19th year, the show runs from Friday 16 – Sunday 18 June and is expected to attract some 30,000 visitors across the weekend.
Billed as Northern Ireland’s largest gardening festival, the horticulture showcase is bigger and better than ever before with a blossoming programme featuring a range of horticultural experts.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Alderman Stephen Ross, said: “From our famed Jubilee Garden to our Coronation Garden, Antrim and Newtownabbey is an area of remarkable natural beauty. These creations further elevate the immense potential of our public realm and celebrate a rich horticulture tradition. Garden Show Ireland truly exemplifies this tradition and aligns with our ambitions to transform our public spaces and create a vibrant environment to work, play and visit.”
Taking inspiration from acclaimed garden designer Diarmuid Gavin’s magical, mechanical Jubilee Garden, this year’s show is adopting ‘Pure Imagination’ as its theme for 2023 as weird and wonderful exuberance meets gardening excellence.
Diarmuid and distinguished plantsman Paul Smyth get potty about pots with an enormous co-designed plant pot display, a centrepiece of the show that must be seen to be believed.
Serving up plenty of ideas and inspiration for your own garden, green-fingered veterans and budding gardeners can soak up expert advice from the industry’s brightest, uniting with specialist plant growers to celebrate this year’s bloom and share creative insights across a range of Workshops, panel discussions and masterclasses on topics ranging from flower farming and growing your own produce to pots, planting and gardening for small spaces.
Cultivating knowledge, Diarmuid will be joined by gardening extraordinaires Marie Staunton, Paul Smyth, Michael Kelly, Biruk Hailu, Klaus Laitenberger, Geoff Stebbings and Brian McCarthy for panel discussions on topics including gardening for health, food empathy, zero waste, indestructible plants, how to achieve year-round colour and more.
For the amateur, take part in masterclasses and come away with the inspiration and know-how to create your own dream garden, and for the novice, dust off those gardening utensils for some hands-on workshops guided by experienced organic gardeners and innovators, including Biruk Hailu, the mind behind the inspiring Cork Rooftop Farm, with his ideas for growing organic vegetables in small spaces.
Klaus Laitenberger will host a series of demonstrations on seed growing and propagation while the Northern Ireland Flower and Foliage Association (NIFFA) will deliver workshops on foraging for table arrangements, sustainable floristry techniques, wearable floral creations and more.
Show ambassador Diarmuid Gavin said: “I’m so excited about this year’s Garden Show Ireland which is going to be different to any other Show. We invite you to have a go at gardening and we show you how to do it.
Garden Show Ireland is a real celebration of all things green, indoors and out. It’s a Show packed with pure gardening imagination and whether your garden is a windowsill, a suburban plot or acres of country garden this is a festival for you.
We’re potty about pots and mad about plants, we’ve flower farmers and indoor jungle experts, grow-your-own displays and a floral hat competition. I’ll be running a series of Design Your Own Garden masterclasses and will be joined by gardening greats across the weekend keen to share inspiration and insights. There really is something for everyone!”
Tickets for Garden Show Ireland cost £10 and can be purchased online at gardenshowireland.com. Children under 16 go free.
