Green Cities at BLOOM

Bord Bia Bloom 2022. President Michael D Higgins & his wife Sabina officially open Bord Bia Bloom 2022. Photo Fennell Photography / Copyright 2022

Bord Bia sponsored a large Green Cities garden at the 2022 Bloom Show, as part of the three-year EU co- funded Green Cities for a Sustainable Europe campaign.

The garden was a visual representation of the type of green landscaping it would be ideal to include as part of new construction projects around Ireland, using Irish-grown plants. It was manned throughout the show, to answer queries from the public, to explain the rationale behind the garden, and emphasize the environmental, health, biodiversity, and economic benefits of green spaces in cities, as well as the importance of using local plants. The garden, designed by James Purdy and installed by Silverstream Landscapes, generated significant interest from the public due to the flowing lines and naturalistic look.

The garden partnered with Dublin and Limerick city councils, who used the opportunity to showcase their own green initiatives. The garden was well received by the public and achieved substantial coverage in the press, in online media, and in video media. Further regional coverage is expected in the coming weeks. Several useful contacts have also been made with county councils, including those who would have liked to take part, but were unable to due to staffing issues. ✽