A woodland garden for young children took the 'Best Large Garden' prize at the annual Bord Bia Bloom, which is under way at Dublin's Phoenix Park.
Now in its 17th year the five-day festival showcases the best of Irish gardening, horticulture and food and was officially opened by President Michael D Higgins.
With the warm and settled spell of weather forecast to last right through the weekend, it will be near perfect conditions for this year’s Bord Bia Bloom and all the energy, colour and sumptuous gardens the festival brings to the Phoneix Park.
President Higgins spent time touring some of the lush garden creations and meeting their designers this morning.
Medal winners were announced for the best gardens, nursery displays and floral art exhibitions.
The overall winner of Best Large Garden this year is an imaginative woodland garden for children aged under five.
The 'First 5 Garden of Wonder and Discovery' was designed by Oliver and Liat Schurmann in association with the Department of Children.
A total of 36 medals were awarded, 17 gold, eight silver-gilt, six silver and five bronze.
Bord Bia Bloom also features conservation displays, Irish plant nurseries, 100 food and drink companies, cookery demonstrations, musical performances and family activities.
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Organisers expect more than 100,000 people to visit the festival, which runs through the bank holiday weekend and ends on Monday evening.
Bord Bia is the Government agency charged with the promotion, trade development and marketing of the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry.
The festival was originally created to promote plants, garden design and horticulture but has developed over the years to reflect Bord Bia's brief.
Over the course of the coming days there will also be a number of business and trade events, including a breakfast for retail buyers in the festival's food village tomorrow.
