Latest news with #BordBia'sBloom
RTÉ News
29-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Bloom is set to feature a garden of reimagined waste with Repak
Ahead of their appearance at Bord Bia's Bloom, environmental not-for-profit organisation Repak has shared its latest research, revealing that 67% of Irish adults rate their recycling knowledge highly, but there is still room for improvement, as 71% don't know how to recycle bleach bottles correctly. To help close these knowledge gaps, Repak will host a 'Most Sorted Garden' at Bord Bia Bloom in Dublin's Phoenix Park this Thursday - Monday, welcoming thousands of visitors with hands-on tips and practical inspiration for better recycling habits at home and in the garden. Ahead of Ireland's premier garden festival, we spoke to journalist and sustainability advocate Jo Linehan about the festival and ways in which we can make our homes a little more eco-friendly "The festival itself has so many unbelievable sustainability initiatives," Linehan says of Bloom, noting that coffee grounds from the festival will be donated to OPW for fertilising material; reusable cups and glassware will be available to attendees; and multiple public transport options will be available so cars can be avoided. "Repak have designed a beautiful garden," she adds. "Everything in it will be what we, traditionally, would describe as waste items. They've reimagined so many things that we would throw away or recycle, and featured them as beautiful pieces in the garden." As the host of one of Repak's panel discussions, Linehan hopes that the garden will inspire attendees to open their minds to reusing household items. As it stands, three in five (60%) of people surveyed have used empty packaging for gardening purposes, such as starting seeds, as plant pots, for watering or for creating plant labels. "I think people are so innovative," Linehan says of the findings. "The fact that that many gardeners are thinking that way is amazing." Although the enthusiasm to recycle seems to be there, Linehan says that there is often a "knowledge gap" when it comes to organising our bins. According to the research, less than half of adults can correctly identify which bins tinfoil (44%), cosmetic jars (45%) and deodorant cans (50%) should go in, while 71% don't know how to recycle bleach bottles correctly. So, let's get straight to the answers: Tinfoil is recyclable as long as it is clean, dry, and loose. Cosmetic jars are recyclable as long as they are clean, dry and loose. Empty glass jars can be placed in the glass recycling bin, while plastic jars are typically recyclable with other plastics in the green / recycling bin at home. Deodorant cans can not be recycled as they are aerosols. Bleach & household cleaning bottles are recyclable as long as they are clean, dry and loose. This means you should rinse them to remove any residue, ensure they are completely dry, and place them loosely in the bin, without any bags, and with the lid on. As well as hosting a panel discussion featuring Repak Members Ballymaloe Foods, Britvic Ireland, Coca Cola HBC, Homestore and More, Lidl Ireland and Musgrave to explore the future of recycling, Linehan will be speaking across the weekend on topics including sustainable fashion and sustainable beauty. Over the five days of the festival, the journalist hopes to inspire optimistic, creative, and exciting conversations surrounding sustainability in Ireland. "We hear so much about the negatives of what's happening to the environment, but we never really hear about the amazing things," she muses. "It's lovely to shine a light on the things that are really good." When it comes to simple and effective ways to improve household recycling, Jo says to follow these four tips: Print out recycling guides and stick them on the fridge or above the bin. Every household is entitled to a brown compost bin - if you don't have one, get in touch with your bin supplier or apartment management. Add coffee grounds to the plants in your garden. Make a bird feeder from an empty plastic bottle - you can find handy tutorials on YouTube. "It can be a really overwhelming thing to say you're going to be more sustainable," she admits. "It's really difficult to do, so if the only thing you did was up your recycling a bit or get that compost bin and start using it, that would be massive." In fact, according to Repak, if every Bloom visitor decided to recycle one more item per day, it would result in 36.5 million more items diverted from landfill - the equivalent of 28 GAA pitches.
Irish Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
RTÉ's Super Garden winner confirmed as design set to showcase at Bloom
The winner of RTÉ's Super Garden said it 'means the world' that her creation will be showcased to over 100,000 people at Bloom. Debbie Brophy was elated as she was announced as the winner of the coveted television competition on Tuesday night. Originally from Laois but based in Kildare, the garden enthusiast wowed judges with her 'Bee Happy' wildlife garden. Inspired by a honeybee colony that moved into her own backyard last year, Debbie created a fun and vibrant garden for young family Anju, Jaison and their three-year-old, Steve. The homeowners asked for a low-maintenance garden that could be enjoyed by their son and his friends - and that's exactly what Debbie delivered. She paved the front of the garden for entertaining space and designed a series of hexagonal flower beds filled with pollinating plants to fit with the theme. The gardener showed off her artistic flair as she studied fine art painting at Limerick School of Art. However, at the age of 41 Debbie decided to shift her talent elsewhere and completed a postgraduate diploma with the Garden Design Academy, all while raising her young daughter, Poppy. Now she is the envy of every amateur garden designer in the country as her 'Bee Happy' wildlife garden will be showcased at Ireland's biggest garden festival - Bord Bia's Bloom. Speaking after she proudly held her trophy in her colourful garden, Debbie said: 'It's an immense feeling; there will be 100,000 people coming to see our garden and it means the world." Show Garden Manager for Bord Bia Bloom Kerrie Gardiner said Debbie is 'a worthy winner of Super Garden 2025'. She added: 'She truly delivered for the homeowner, creating the 'Bee Happy' garden filled with colour and family-friendly elements that also encourage pollinators and biodiversity. There was great attention to detail in the garden bespoke insect hotels, and the water butt harvesting waster from the pergola roof all contributing to promoting environmental sustainability. 'The design further includes engaging play areas and interactive installations that foster creativity and outdoor learning for the younger member of the family. Overall, the garden reflects the personality and desires of the homeowners, making it a well-rounded design delivery.' This year's competition on RTÉ saw five designers battle it out to be crowned the winner of Super Garden and have the chance of showcasing at Bloom. All contestants were matched with a family of a new build home in Baker Hall in Navan, Co Meath and given €15,000 and three weeks to complete their masterpiece. Each episode saw judges Brian Burke, Monica Alvarez and Carol Monks cast their expert eye on the gardens and give feedback to the designers. Judge Brian, who represented Woodies, said Debbie was the deserved winner because she incorporated all the elements he looks for in a garden. He said: 'People often ask me what makes a winning design in Super Garden. The answer is that it is a combination of things - originality, flow, dynamism, interesting plant combinations, strong built elements, an eye on sustainability, a full and faithful response to the homeowner's requirements. This year Debbie provided all of those things, and more.' Judge Monica, who is a former Super Garden winner herself, said there was 'good quality' across all the gardens. Speaking about Debbie's design, she said: 'Debbie's garden makes a perfect addition to Bloom, having demonstrated her ability to carry out good quality work and produce a garden with a strong message. I am very proud of what she has created.' The four other gardens were Jorge Aragon Cano's 'Failte Fiesta' design, Eileen Sung's 'New Beginnings' garden, Chris Walsh's 'Culinary Canopy' creation and Rosie Alabaster's garden inspired by WB Yeats' Lake Isle of Innisfree. Bord Bia's Bloom takes place in Dublin's Phoenix Park from May 29 to June 2, where Debbie's 'Happy Bee' garden will be on display.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘What can't she do' – RTE Super Garden contestant faces huge design setback as worker quits mid-build
RTE Super Garden contestant Eileen Sung was left with a major setback tonight as one of her workers quit mid-build. The brand new series of Super Garden continued tonight with five new budding designers battling it out for a coveted show garden spot at Bord Bia's Bloom in 2025. 4 Eileen transformed the couple's garden Credit: RTE 4 Eileen faced numerous set backs during her build Credit: RTE 4 Eileen's landscaper walked off the job Credit: RTE The super gardeners hoping to have their designs shown off at Bord Bia Bloom are Chris, Jorge, Debbie, Eileen and Rosie. And overseeing the competition are three judges; Brian Burke, former Super Garden winner Monica Alvarez, and Carol Marks. In tonight's show, viewers met 72-year-old gardener Eileen Sung from Derry, who currently lives in Belfast. Eileen is a self-admitted latecomer to gardening and design, something which she only began 12 years ago, at age 60. read more on super garden Before studying horticulture, Eileen picked up a wealth of experience across many fields, including being a police officer in Hong Kong for eight years. When she returned to Ireland from Hong Kong, she took up a job at the Northern Irish Assembly - where she worked until retirement. Retiring at 60 is when she reskilled, went back to school to study, and graduated in 2024 with a degree from the University of Ulster in horticulture. Eileen has been a big fan of the show, and her dream is for her designs to be presented at Bord Bia's Bloom in the Phoenix Park. Most read in News TV Putting that dream to the test, she designed a garden for new homeowners Vasile and Sarah. The happy couple who live in Baker Hall, Navan with their three-year-old son, Francesco, want the perfect space to raise their growing family. Fair City star returns on air As Sarah revealed she is pregnant with another child for the couple, they want a space where they can relax and their children can grow up and play in. Understanding their needs, Eileen set out to create a garden she called, New Beginnings. The first step she took in creating "New Beginnings" for the family, she wanted to plant four trees in the garden, each representing a family member. But her build got off to a rocky start, when she changed a core aspect of the design before any of her materials arrived. 'SHOW MUST GO ON' In a bid to be more sustainable, Eileen changed her idea of including gravel in the garden - to only using grass. With her mind constantly changing and the design ever evolving, Eileen's lead landscaper quit mid-build. Undisturbed by the setback, Eileen insisted the "show must go on" as she roped in students from her college to help pull off the build. She also enlisted the help of her fellow Super Garden contenders to get her flowers planted in time. SUPER SETBACKS After a to-the-bone final polishing of her garden, Eileen finished her design, although it slightly deviated from her initial concept - and finished her first ever garden design. The judges also seemed impressed by what she managed to pull off as they noted her planting was "some of the best" they'd ever seen. RTE viewers inspired by her conviction to get the job done, despite setbacks, raced to social media to champion the retiree. Una said: "Come on Eileen!" Charlotte commented: "There's nothing this lady can't do.... She's amazing." Frances remarked: "Can we have a documentary about Eileen herself, she sounds fascinating." 4 Eileen took up gardening just 12 years ago at age 60 Credit: RTE
