Cork’s green fingers clean up at Bloom

A GROUP of Cork landscapers are preparing to “paint the town green” as they celebrate wins at this year’s Bloom festival.

Five Cork exhibitors were awarded medals at Bord Bia Bloom in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

Sean Russell from Youghal received a gold medal for the National Dairy Council Sustainable Dairy Farm Garden.

Sponsored by National Dairy Council, the garden resembles a traditional Irish country farm, complete with milk churns, dry stone walls and a specially commissioned bronze wire mesh cow sculpture piece.

RTÉ Supergarden 2020 winner, Midleton-based Mark Hoey, received a silver-gilt medal for his show garden named Reflections which was designed to be wheelchair accessible. The theme of the garden reflects designer Mark Hoey’s own experiences with his mental health and the importance of having a calming space at home to retreat to and enjoy with family and friends.

Three first-time show garden designers were also awarded gold medals for outstanding garden design. These included Niall Deacon for his Eureka Garden, sponsored by Solus Light Bulbs, and Seán O’Malley and Oisín Griffin for the Peter McVerry Trust Pathways to Home Garden.

Seasoned show garden designers Andrew Christopher Dunne and Alan Rudden took the coveted best in category awards for large and medium gardens, bringing their total gold medals at Bord Bia Bloom to four and seven respectively. The overall large show garden award was presented to Andrew Christopher Dunne, for Hit Pause and the Caragh Nurseries Garden.

Alan Rudden received the best in category for the medium show garden, Savills Urban Oasis Garden.

Mike Neary, Director of Horticulture, Bord Bia, said they were very impressed by the attention to detail from entrants.

“As Bord Bia Bloom returns as an in-person event for the first time in three years, we are hugely encouraged by the calibre of new horticultural talent emerging alongside some of our incredibly creative and experienced show garden designers. 

"The judges were hugely impressed by the attention to detail, quality of planting and sense of atmosphere created in this year’s displays.”