Gardens centred around recycling and circular economy take top prizes at Bord Bia Bloom as festival opens to public
The overall large garden category award at Bord Bia Bloom in Phoenix Park went to the Repak Most Sorted Garden, designed by James Purdy.
While the overall medium garden category award was presented to The European Commission's 'Renewed Blooms' Garden, designed by David Negus.
All 21 show gardens showcased at this year's festival were designed with sustainability in mind and incorporate environmental measures.
Judges highlighted that these two gardens particularly emphasise strong sustainability messages for visitors to take home.
A total of 19 medals including eight gold medals, were awarded to show gardens in advance of the show opening to the public this morning.
The overall small garden winner was The Pot Gallery Garden, designed by Alan Rudden, which demonstrates how freestanding and vertical pots can create green spaces on terraces, roofs or balconies.
The overall concept garden winner was The Rainbow Brick Balcony Garden designed by Limerick artist, Gary Kirwan, as a tribute to LEGO.
It is constructed from over 800,000 pieces over eight weeks and will be reused at family-oriented events run by Brick Shows Ireland around the country.
Chief Garden Judge, Andrew Wilson said each year adjudicators come to Bloom the quality of the show gardens 'steps up an extra notch'.
'The judging panel has been delighted by the range of ideas, the creativity, and the quality of the gardens this year,' he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
"It's especially great to see sustainable ideas at the fore. We are seeing this with recycling, the choice of planting, and the reuse and repurposing of materials throughout the gardens. Visitors to Bloom will have a ball visiting the show gardens and are guaranteed to get some great ideas to take home.'
Meanwhile, in the Nursery Village, a total of 16 medals were awarded to new and returning plant nurseries.
This year's Postcard Gardens, which are small but perfectly formed gardens created by community groups received 11 medals.
Bord Bia Bloom opens to the public today and will continue for five days up until this Bank Holiday Monday.
Jim O'Toole, Bord Bia Chief Executive said: 'After months of hard work and planning, we are delighted to welcome our first visitors here this morning.'
"I would like to congratulate all the medal winners whose creativity and expertise has been justly rewarded. Now the public can appreciate their inspiring horticulture displays over the next five days,' he said.
Mr O'Toole noted that over 300 performances and demonstrations will take place across across seven stages over the next few days.
The festival will be officially opened by Bord Bia Bloom patron, President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who will be accompanied by his wife Ms Sabina Higgins.
Other big names expected on opening day are leading Government officials including An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon and broadcasters Marty Morrissey, Áine Lawlor and Marty Whelan.
Also expected to attend are gardening experts Diarmuid Gavin, Adam Frost (BBC Gardener's World), chefs Trisha Lewis, Neven Maguire, Rory O'Connell and Edward Hayden; as well as food writers and content creators Lilly Higgins and James Kavanagh.
To discover the full event programme, visit bordbiabloom.com or follow @bordbiabloom on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I thought I was going to die' – Hollywood star dropped FOUR STONE to play boxer leaving superstar fiancee horrified
ORLANDO BLOOM lost nearly FOUR STONE to play the role of boxer - leaving his superstar fiancee Katy Perry horrified. Bloom stars as a retired boxer looking to make a comeback in the unreleased movie The Cut - which began filming in 2023. 5 Orlando Bloom lost nearly four stone to play the role of a boxer Credit: TikTok / @menshealthuk 5 Bloom lived off a crazy diet of tune and cucumber to shed the weight Credit: TikTok / @menshealthuk And the plot centres around Bloom's character losing a dangerous amount of weight in order to fight again. The British cinema legend revealed he lost 52lb - three and a half STONE - before filming had even started. He told Bloom was living off a diet of tuna and cucumber and had to actually film scenes from the end of the film at the start. READ MORE IN BOXING Director Sean Ellis said to 'It was going to be impossible for him to work while dieting. So, he came to us at his lightest, and then he starts to eat. "So that meant that we had to shoot the film [with] the ending first and the beginning of the movie at the end. "Over the 25 days that we were shooting, he was putting on the calories. And then it's edited in reverse.' Most read in Boxing CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Bloom, now 48, added: 'I was more surprised about the mental aspect of [it], like the sleep deprivation, and not the depleted calories. 'There's a lot going on in your brain living in that headspace for a while was very challenging.' Sam Thompson left gobsmacked as he's surprised by huge Hollywood A-lister during his 280-mile endurance challenge Even Bloom's co-star Caitriona Balfe - who plays his on-screen wife in the film - was stunned by his gaunt face and body. Balfe said: 'The transformation was shocking - I was like, 'You look like a raisin.'' Director Ellis and lead Bloom revealed movie goers at the premiere passed out and fainted due to the film's graphic nature. And Bloom's fiancee Perry - with whom he shares a four-year-old daughter Daisy Dove with - also found it tough viewing. Bloom revealed the singer was left in tears after watching the particularly harrowing scenes. He told Page Six: 'She watched it and was like, 'I need a stiff drink.' She was really moved. She knew what it took.' Bloom proposed to 40-year-old Perry in 2019 and The Cut - with a screenplay by Justin Bull and story by Mark Lane - is yet have a distributor or release date. 5 Bloom in the movie The Cut Credit: Instagram / @orlandobloom 5 Katy Perry is engaged to actor Bloom Credit: Getty 5 Perry has been engaged to Bloom since 2019 Credit: instagram/katyperry
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Europe's first Lego-themed waterpark reopens for summer and you can fly there for £17
THE first LEGO-themed waterpark in Europe has officially re-opened for the summer season. Gardaland itself is one of the most popular theme parks in Europe, with the only themed aquarium in Italy and a Peppa Pig land. 5 Gardaland in Italy has re-opened its water park 5 There are huge Lego figures around the park And in 2019, Gardaland opened the first, and only, LEGOLAND-themed The waterpark has been closed through the winter months, but from May 31, 2025, has started to welcome visitors back to the pools and flumes. It's a great place to cool down during the summer months, especially for any fans of Lego. The water park has taken a lot from the parks, including its own Italian Miniland. Read more on Legoland The recognisable Miniland is the heart of every Legoland Park where visitors can see the most iconic landmarks from across the world. Gardaland water park also has its own lazy river called the River Adventure, a slow-moving river. Visitors can bob down the slow-moving water attraction on a dinghy customised with Lego bricks. From there, you can actually see Miniland depicting Italy and spot a Lego-brick built Colosseum, Tower of Pisa, Basilica and Bell Tower of St. Mark's Square. Most read in Family Also in the water park is a Beach Party - with its seven slides and a huge tipping bucket of water. Also in the park is the Pirate Bay swimming pool , as well as a pirate fortress, as well as Jungle Adventure waterslides and Beach Party cannons. Huge indoor-outdoor waterpark in Europe has 12 slides, lazy river and bars 5 Jungle Adventure has lots of waterslides 5 There's a lazy river with Lego-inspired dinghies For younger kids, there's the Duplo splash park, which has smaller water rides and attractions. Creation Island is the spot to go to for any kids who want to make their own Lego designs. Souvenir shops and restaurants will also be opening in the park. The water park is a real hit with visitors, one wrote on Tripadvisor: "The park is phenomenal and the water park is absolutely amazing." One even said it gives "I loved the jumanji ride, and the kids loved legoland water park." Another said that the water park is the perfect place to "cool down" in the summer. With From there, Gardaland is a 25-minute drive towards the coast. One Plus, the tropical indoor One Sun Travel Writer Had The "Best Family Holiday Maria Realf visited Garaland with her family - and it's safe to say she had an incredible holiday... As the ride began to climb, the two views before me were dramatically different. To my right, the serene turquoise waters of Italy's Lake Garda. On my left? A steep drop and a double loop-the-loop. I'd stumbled across Gardaland in spring while trying to book a last-minute trip to Disneyland Paris. Don't get me wrong, I love a Disney park — but this time, faced with high prices and the possibility of French strike disruption, I decided to take a chance on somewhere new. The result? One of the best family breaks we've ever had. On arrival, the next pleasant surprise was the lack of long queues. Most waits were 10-20 minutes. But while the resort might have been short on queues, it's certainly not short of fun. There's plenty for all ages here, from Fantasy Kingdom and a small Peppa Pig Land for little ones, to adventure attractions including the latest Jumanji ride and white-knuckle thrills galore. My personal picks were epic log flume Fuga da Atlantide and the Mammut coaster, which reminded us of Disney's popular Big Thunder Mountain. During the warm summer months until mid-September, guests can also cool off at Legoland Water Park — a 15,000-square-metre area within Gardaland. Explore the Lego River Adventure with its floating rafts, the Beach Party packed with slides, or the Duplo Splash zone for younger visitors. If all that has worked up your appetite, there are lots of places to eat dotted around, from sit-down restaurants to takeaway kiosks - 5 Gardaland water park has opened up for the summer season
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Louth Youth Ambassador for Cruinniú na nÓg named as details of 2025 events revealed
Grace, who is also a member of member of M.A.D. Youth Theatre, has won a number of awards for her short films, and is an inspiration to other young people as to how they can express themselves through the arts. There will be no shortage of arts events for young people in Dundalk and surround areas to enjoy Saturday, June 7 as Cruinniú na nÓg 2025, hosted by Louth County Council has an exciting programme of events. In Dundalk, families can explore an archaeological dig at the County Museum, a buzzing programme at Redeemer FRC with a silent disco, messy play, and Lego fun, plus creative workshops at Bridge Street Studios including pottery, felting and watercolour painting. Creative Spark Downtown Hub will host Doodle Bots, natural pigment-making, and messy art with AAEX Teens. At Market Square, expect circus performances, mural workshops, spray painting, and much more. M.A.D. Youth Theatre will run workshops with local community groups, and SNAP will host a drama therapy session for their members. An Táin Arts Centre presents Rhythm is a Dancer, a collaborative live performance of original music and dance by young Louth talent, and a Night Time Economy Event featuring a live art performance of famous artwork recreations by M.A.D. Youth Theatre members. The centre will also showcase photography from Cruinniú workshops, WOWTH! county-wide art competition winning entries, and art by AAEX Teens and Pebble Lane Art Studio in their BasementGgallery workshop room from June 7 to 14. Don't miss the morning arts and crafts, interactive mural audio tour, and immersive games also offered at the Arts Centre. An exciting Bake Off event will take place at St Vincent's Secondary School for young experienced bakers! All branches of Louth Library Service will be buzzing with excitement on the day, offering activities like Lego workshops, glass fusing, needle felting, kite-making, and magic shows. There are also art workshops at Pebble Lane Studio Lordship, a magic show and art session in the Dee Hub, Ardee, and circus performances at Ardee Community Centre. All events are free but booking is essential visit the official event page to explore the full schedule and secure your spot at
