Easy Steps to Dream Gardens

Easy Steps to Dream Gardens is an initiative designed to help you plant your own show garden at home. Bord Bia has worked with eight Bloom award-winning show garden designers to create garden designs that are suited to a range of different locations. Each garden design in the series comes with an easy-to-follow planting plan and detailed planting list that can be implemented in your garden according to your available time, space and budget.

Explore Designs

Virtual bloom 2021

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  • Diagram of a north-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), and the sunlight is represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
  • Diagram of a south-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
  • Diagram of a south-east-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
  • Diagram of a south-west-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the south-east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
  • Diagram of an east-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
  • Diagram of a west-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
  • Diagram of an east-facing garden (alternate layout) showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.

8 Garden Designs

Eight designs are based on a garden size of 15 metres x 9 metres and have been designed for different aspects (e.g. north-, south-, east- and west-facing gardens) and include garden plans illustrating a variety of features, such as patios and seating areas. While the designs highlight where to situate these features in order to make the most of the available sun in your garden, you don’t have to invest in hard landscaping projects to create your own dream garden. The planting plans will help you develop your existing space to create a similar look and feel to your favourite garden design.

Diagram of a west-facing garden showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
Headshot of Designer Nicola Haines

The Shared Spaces Family Garden

Designer: Nicola Haines

This west-facing garden is designed for a family with teenagers and young adults but can be tailored to suit any household. The garden is designed in a series of layers with planting in the foreground, mid-ground and background - with three distinct spaces that can be reformatted and customised as your lifestyle changes.

  • Three distinct spaces
  • Feature pergola
  • Family friendly
Diagram of an east-facing garden (alternate layout) showing the path of sunlight throughout the day. A compass indicates directions (N for North, S for South, E for East, W for West), with sunlight represented as morning in the east, mid-day in the south, and evening in the west.
Headshot of Designer James Purdy

The Coastal Garden

Designer: James Purdy

This east-facing garden is inspired by the Irish coast but will suit any location. This garden is designed to be robust and will tolerate arid and windy conditions that are typical in coastal locations but it will work just as well inland and lends itself to a good family space, with the ability to withstand the elements.

  • East Facing
  • Low maintenance
  • Inspired by the Irish coastline