Gardens
This year’s gardens include 20 magnificent Show Gardens, 14 Postcard Gardens, supported by Tirlán CountryLife, and the OPW Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden.
Show Gardens
The Show Gardens are the heart and soul of Bord Bia Bloom. They bring some of the most talented designers from Ireland and overseas together to create spectacular gardens that not only illustrate how to make the most of your outdoor spaces but also shine a spotlight on some of the most important issues of our times. With 20 gardens on show this year, you’ll find lots of inspiration for your own outdoor areas, no matter how big or how small.
2026 Show Gardens
Cultivating Talent
Now in its fourth year, Bloom’s Cultivating Talent programme nurtures upcoming talent in the industry by providing one emerging designer with funding and mentoring to help them deliver their first Bloom Show Garden. This year’s winner is Jack Donovan, an up-and-coming architectural, landscape and spatial designer who impressed the Bord Bia Bloom assessment panel with his designs for Alltar, a celebration of the overlooked ecologies that arise in the margins of a city. You can read more about his garden here.
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Postcard Gardens, supported by Tirlán CountryLife
Our small but perfectly formed Postcard Gardens, supported by Tirlán CountryLife, are one of the most popular visitor attractions at Bord Bia Bloom each year. Created by amateur gardeners from community groups, clubs, and schools from across Ireland, they showcase their locality or highlight the issues that matter to them. They are proof that size doesn’t matter when it comes to creating wonderful outdoor spaces!
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OPW Victorian Walled Kitchen Gardens
Bord Bia Bloom visitors can enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden next to the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. This formal garden was originally part of the Under Secretary’s Demesne and later the Papal Nuncio’s residence and was used to supply fresh fruit and vegetables to these households. It has been restored by the Office of Public Works in recent years and contains colourful summer planting that is worth viewing during your visit to Bloom.
Gardening inspiration
In Bloom’s Botanical Hub, next to Entrance 01, you’ll find a wealth of gardening inspiration and expert advice.
Nursery Village, in association with Smartfence
The Nursery Village, in association with Smartfence, is a charming outdoor village brimming with highly creative exhibits from top Irish and international nurseries. Large displays from 16 nurseries and floral artists will give you plenty of ideas for your own garden this summer. You will also find a wide array of plants and flowers available to purchase.
Garden Stage, sponsored by Sunrise
For advice on creating the garden of your dreams, head to the Garden Stage, sponsored by Sunrise, where garden designers and television presenters Diarmuid Gavin and Adam Frost are returning to headline a busy programme of talks and panel discussions across the Bloom weekend. This year’s MCs are organic gardener and local food advocate, Kitty Scully; award-winning Bloom Show Garden designer and interior architect, Leonie Cornelius; and BBC’s Gardeners’ Corner presenter and The Irish Garden editor, David Maxwell. With daily presentations from gardener and teacher, Marie Staunton; eco-builder and author, Harrison Gardner; the RTÉ Super Garden judges, plus many more experts, you’re sure to be entertained and inspired. Check out the stage schedule to find out when your favourite presenters will be on.
View event schedule
Association of Irish Floral Artists Floral Art Competition
Bloom’s Floral Art Competition is organised by the Association of Irish Floral Artists (AOIFA), the official organisation of affiliated Flower and Garden Clubs in Ireland. The competition showcases the work of talented floral artists who compete in several classes based on a variety of themes. You’ll find their exhibits next to the Postcard Gardens.
Botanical Hub Demo Space, in association with Tanners Foliage
Following its successful debut in 2025, the Botanical Hub Demo Space returns with a charming new tea tent which has been beautifully dressed by our sponsors, Tanners Foliage.
Here the Association of Irish Floral Artists (AOIFA), the Institute of Flowers, and plant experts from our Nursery Village will host live demonstrations and hands-on workshops on a range of subjects. You’ll find times and topics in our Event Schedule.
Ask the Expert Plant Clinic, presented by The Irish Garden magazine
Ask the Expert Plant Clinic, presented by The Irish Garden magazine, marshals the collective horticultural brains of more than 20 expert contributors to The Irish Garden magazine to deal with your plant or garden queries. All of them are trained, experienced horticulturists and gardeners.
Please bring photographs or samples of the affected plant material (kept in a bag to maintain plant hygiene). Non-chemical solutions will be offered as a priority, in keeping with the long-standing policy of The Irish Garden magazine.
Ask the Expert Tree Clinic, in association with Crann – Trees for Ireland
Celebrating 40 years in 2026, Crann ‘Trees for Ireland’ returns to our ‘Ask the Expert’ area with its popular Ask the Tree Expert Clinic. Visitors can ask Crann’s tree experts for advice on any tree-related topic, from selecting the right tree for your space to caring for existing trees.
Garden Design Clinic, in association with the GLDA
The Garden Design Clinic offers you an opportunity to meet with members of the Garden & Landscape Designers Association (GLDA) and ask for advice on creating your perfect garden. Members of the GLDA are experienced garden and landscape designers, many of whom have designed award-winning Bloom Show Gardens. It is a good idea to know the orientation of your garden before you talk to them.