PHOTOS

BLOOm IN THE PARk 2015

Who can believe that it nine years since Ireland’s horticulture community got a show that many are still proud of. It may not appeal to the design purists, but it generates significant business and follow-on footfall for garden retailers across Ireland. Do you remember what we had before Bloom? Exactly. Always room to improve, but roll on Bloom’s decennial in 2016.

ANDREW WILSON & PAUL MAHER (BLOOM SHOW GARDEN JUDGES)

AUTHOR FIANN O NUALLAIN (HOLISTIC GARDENER: BEAUTY TREATMENTS FROM THE GARDEN} NATHALIE MARKIEFKA (LANDSCAPE STUDENT AT WWW.BFEI.IE)

RUTH LIDDLE (THE GARDEN OF SCULPTURES) JOAN MALLON MATT LOHAN (WOODSTOCK NURSERIES)

JANE MCCORKELL ALAN RUDDEN ANNEMARIE BOWRING LORELY FORRESTER

ANTHONY RYAN (HAYES RYAN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE - GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN CONCEPT GARDEN CATEGORY)

ITB HORTICULTURE & FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES ACCEPT SILVER GILT & BEST IN SHOW IN SMALL GARDEN CATEGORY BRIAN BURKE (SUPER GARDEN WINNER 2015) WITH CLARA DORAN (GARDENGUIDE COMPETITION WINNER)

PADDY GLESSON WITH THE KILDARE MEDAL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO HORTICULTURE & JOHN JOE COSTIN

NIALL MAXWELL (GOLD MEDAL WINNER, DESIGNERS & PEOPLES CHOICE) DERMOT O'NEILL (CELEBRITY GARDENER) & RACHEL DOYLE (ARBORETUM & BOARD MEMBER OF BORD BIA)

GREG BIALEK & IGOR CHPAK (KEELINGS) PEADAR GILSENAN (GARDEN ENTHUSIAST) INGRID SWAN (SILVER-GILT AWARD WINNER)

JOAN HAMILTON, HARRY FIFBELS & FRANK DOUGLAS (SLÍ EILE) ANDREW MCDONNELL (NEW AGE STONE) NEWLANDS GARDEN CENTRE IN PLANT VILLAGE MONICA & ORIEL MCMAHON

AN EVENING AT BLOOm

One of the best ways to see the show gardens at Bloom without the hustle and bustle of the crowds is to know someone who knows someone and get an invite to what has become the major social event on the horticulture calendar. Along with Ireland’s leading designers, retailers and nurserymen, an abundance of politicians and horticulture decision-makers attended Bloom's gala evening on 28 May. The opportunity to connect and influence in the relaxed setting was a rare and welcome one.

ANNMARIA FAGAN (BORD BIA) & JOE YOUNG (YOUNG NURSERIES) AIDAN COTTER (CEO BORD BIA), MINISTER ALEX WHITE & PROFESSOR MARY CORCORAN

ROZ O'SHAUGHNESSY & MAIREAD MCGUINNESS (MEP) LESLIE MOORE (GUEST JUDGE/DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL), SUZANNE SANDFORD & MARCELLA MOORE GARY FORAN (CHAIRMAN OF THE GLDA)

AIDAN CAMPION & KEN O'BYRNE COMMERCIAL MANAGERS AT BORD NA MONA) KIERAN DUNNE, FIONA LYONS, DAVID BROGAN & SCOTT DUNNE BRIAN CAFFREY (OPW) & KAREN O'HALLORAN

SHEILA CAREW WITH ROSS CAREW (ALCI) TUNDE SZENTESI & MIKE NEARY (BORD BIA) PAUL MAHER (BLOOM JUDGE) EDEL MCDONALD & FAMILY

MINISTER JOAN BURTON, MARGO KENNY(SODEXO), RONAN DOUGLAS(GIY) & MICHAEL KELLY(GIY) BREFFNI MCGEOUGH (SILVER-GILT WINNER) SUPER GARDEN MENTOR LEONIE CORNELLIUS & SUPER GARDEN JUDGE RÓISÍN LAFFERTY

PETER O'TOOLE, AUDREY CARROLL, KAREN O'BRIEN & CIARAN O'BRIEN PHILIP MOREAU & ROZ O'SHAUGHNESSY (BORD BIA COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER)

ROZ O'SHAUGHNESSY, AINE LAWLOR & NEPHEW RORY CASSIDY NATHALIE MARKIEFKA & NUALA YOUNG MEGAN REILLY, MINISTER JAMES REILLY & EMILY PALINN

BLOOm FRINGE

Now in its second year, Blooms little brother is blossoming into a fun day all of its own. This event looks set to get bigger as more garden designers and enthusiasts are drawn to its ‘anything goes’ themes lack of form filling and away less stress that it takes to get a garden to Bloom. Definitely worth a day o from Bloom.

THORNTONS SKIP REMODELLING WAS A CROWD STOPPER SODSHOW LIVE WITH PETER DONEGAN INTERVIEWING DESIGNER HELEN JAMES KEVIN DENNIS (CITYSCAPE GARDENER) & EMILY NAYHREE (ARTIST) BLOOM FRINGE AT THE GARDEN, POWERSCOURT TOWNHOUSE

GARDEN SHOW IRELAND

Northern Ireland's Premier Garden Show was once again deemed a success at its spectacular new home of Antrim Castle & Gardens. With its major new sponsor Allianz on board the marketing, signage and overall presentation of the event was well received by exhibitors and visitors alike.

CLAIRE FAULKNER (GARDEN SHOW IRELAND DIRECTOR) & CHERRIE MCILWAINE (BBC RADIO ULSTER GARDENERS’ CORNER)

ROSEMARY & ALISTAIR CAMPBELL TRACY DINEEN & LOU MATHERS OLIVER BOND (HAMMOCKOLOGY) GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT AT GARDEN SHOW IRELAND

LEFT: PAUL PARKINSON (BALLYROBERT COTTAGE GARDEN & NURSERY)

RIGHT: RICHARD HASLAM DEMONSTRATING THE ART OF FLORISTRY BELOW: TIM AUSTEN GARDEN DESIGNER

ABOVE: BBC RADIO 4 GARDENERS QUESTION TIME, TOP RIGHT: PAUL ROBBINS (GARDEN PLANTS IRELAND) & NEIL CUMMINS (HTA), BOTTOM RIGHT: RAY MCCULLOUGH (RAYFX)

IRISH FORESTRy, WOODLAND & BIO ENERGy SHOW

This bi-annual event took place on 9-10TH May at the home of the ‘Electric Picnic’ in Stradbally, and in HC’s opinion is just as much fun, when you get to a certain age. It brings together an eclectic mix of people and businesses from the wider forestry community. We were also lucky enough to get a private tour of of Stradbally's house and gardens.

THOMAS COSBY (OWNER OF STRADBALLY HALL, CO LAOIS) ADRIAN COSBY (FORESTER) & DAVID WILKINSON (EVENT PROMOTER)

NIALL MILLER & EOIN DONNELLY DONACH GARTLAN & THE TEAM AT LC PACKAGING MARY BULFIN

JAMES GRACE DES DREW (JULIANSTOWN FOREST OWNER), SÉAN & ROSEMARY LENIHAN (KESTREL FORESTRY) PAUL FARRELLY

KITTY SCULLY & COLM O'DRISCOLL The event was set-up and supported by Bord Bia to ensure that the gardening public has an opportunity to purchase rare and di cult to source plants, while at the same time visit a garden of note that they may not otherwise visit.

AIRFIELD

RARE & SPECIAL PLANT FAIR

HAZEL & ORLA WOODS (KILMURRY NURSERY) MANFRED WANDEL & ELMER KOOMANS (FRUIT HILL FARM) LYNN STRINGER (BOTANICAL ARTIST) HELEN, MICHAEL, NIAMH & THERESE DUFFEY (NIGHT PARK NURSERY)