Bord Bia's Bloom kicks off another year full of lush gardens, live music, food trucks and a 99 cone or two, giving guests the perfect excuse to make the most of the spectacular weather.
Now in its 17th year, the gardening festival takes place over five days on the June Bank Holiday weekend (June 1st – 5th), and runs from 9am to 6pm daily, promising plenty of opportunities to check out the food fair, plant nurseries and, of course, the show gardens.
RTÉ Lifestyle went along to the preview of the stunning gardens, where we caught up with a few of the designers and ambassadors for the extravagant creations. Watch the video above for a sneak peek at this year's gardens.
You'd be hard pressed to miss what is arguably the most theatrical of the gardens this year, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Musical Garden. Designed by Tom Leavy ahead of the reimagined stage production of the Roald Dahl classic, the expansive design featured everything from a floating hat, knitted floral decorations and a bright purple flowing water feature.
"That was a dream brief for me", Leavy told RTÉ Lifestyle. "Roald Dahl would be one of my favourite authors, the world of pure imagination. I'm a big kid at heart and building a garden like this you can do so much with it."
Leavy drew inspiration from the fantastical edible delights of Wonka's factory, putting his own spin on it in his garden design, which is filled with edible and medicinal plants. Among them are chives, kale, nuts and nettles, which Leavy says is "one of the most nutritious foods that we have in Ireland".
A rich colour scheme of red and purple also came from the production. "The chocolate colour, the purple, you see Willy Wonka himself here, he ties in with the garden. In the kale, there's purple stems, chives, beetroots, they all have that same colour theme in them."
Colours played a key role in another design at Bloom, that of the Marie Keating Foundation 'Catching Cancer Early' garden. Designed by Robert Moore, the garden is driven by a message about catching cancer early and promoting cancer screening, which is shown by statistics to lead to positive outcomes in treatment.
"The garden is about a journey and it's about somebody, if they notice something, go and talk to a doctor, go and talk to someone, go and talk to support services like the Marie Keating Foundation", Moore said.
The design featured a charred timber screen around the garden, with charred planks and passages that contrast the brightly coloured plants and flowers.
"The palette is very dark and very moody, and that is done purposefully to contrast with the light and airiness of the planting, the vibrancy, the hope, the optimism."
Symbolism continues in the five fern leaf beech trees that "represent structure and support and someone like the Marie Keating Foundation, they're there for information, they're there to help you at the start of the journey and at the end of the journey", Moore added.
The number five occurs throughout the garden to represent the five most prevalent forms of cancer in Ireland - breast, bowel, skin, prostate and lung. "Each of those are represented by a colour and that colour is used throughout the garden", Moore said.
Lastly, five water bowls offer a moment of reflection, such as whether to make a lifestyle choice to minimise your risk of cancer, or to go and talk about your health with a professional. "A positive choice can lead to a positive outcome."
June Curtin, founder of Snamhie Sasta, a community of sea swimmers who swim at Spanish Point every day, knows all about positive choices, which is part of why she could be spotted walking through Bloom in her swimsuit and swimming cap.
Curtin was invited to represent The Coastal Garden - Easy Steps to Dream Gardens, designed by James Purdy, a stunning east-facing design that is built to withstand the harsh power of the elements. It is one of seven designs created by seven former Bloom designers, all of which are available on Bloom's website to be recreated by home gardeners.
"I have lived by the coast all my life", but despite this she only started swimming recently, she said. "I lost my husband to suicide* and I started swimming four years ago, and the power of the sea, it just never ceases to amaze me. I always say I don't think I have ever done a swim that I have regretted."
Curtin swims at all times in the year, and still goes "even in the depths of winter". "I always come out of the water feeling so much better."
"It's often the mental benefits far outweigh the physical benefits of sea swimming. When you're in the water you've no time to think of anything only surviving the waves that are coming at you that very moment. There's something about being outdoors and being in nature, there's great healing in it."
*If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
