Gardens and Horticulture
With a wide array of colourful gardens and horticulture features planned for this year, there’s plenty to inspire garden lovers of all ages and levels of expertise.
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 21 gardens on show this year, you’ll find lots of inspiration for your own outdoor areas, no matter how big or how small.
2025 Show Gardens
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 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! This year we are excited to host 11 Postcard Gardens at Bloom.
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Cultivating Talent
Introduced in 2023, Bloom’s Cultivating Talent programme, sponsored by Westland Horticulture, 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 Sarah Cotterill, an Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at University College Dublin (UCD). Sarah, who has a keen interest in sustainable water management, will bring her ‘Into the Forest’ show garden to Bloom, which is a tribute to the unique Atlantic rainforests of Ireland.
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Nursery Village
The Nursery Village, in association with Elite Garden Products, is a charming outdoor village brimming with highly creative exhibits from top Irish and international nurseries. Large displays from 17 nurseries and floral artists will give you plenty of ideas for your own garden this summer and you will also find a wide array of plants and flowers available to purchase.
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Garden Stage sponsored by Zarbee's
Garden designers and television presenters Diarmuid Gavin and Adam Frost are among a stellar line-up of speakers confirmed for the Garden Stage, sponsored by Zarbee’s, at this year’s Bord Bia Bloom. The pair will headline a busy programme of talks and discussion panels over the five days of the festival, which will include daily presentations from show garden designer Leonie Cornelius, Niall McCauley of popular YouTube channel Niall Gardens, plus many more. This year’s MCs are Fiann Ó Nualláin, the Holistic Gardener; Stephanie Mahon, Editor of Gardens Illustrated; and David Maxwell, presenter of BBC’s Gardeners’ Corner. Please check the stage schedule to find out when your favourite presenters are speaking.
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Eat Well Garden
Located adjacent to the Horticulture Is Life feature is the Eat Well Garden. This garden features a range of fruit and vegetable and amenity plants both outdoor and grown in a glasshouse and polythene tunnel. As well as the opportunity to view and explore the plants, there will be regular walk ‘n’ talk sessions about how the crops are grown, organic production, managing key pests, and tips for GIYers to take home and practise in their own gardens. In addition a series of talks will take place over the five days of Bloom on all aspects of kitchen gardening in our ‘Polytunnel Talks’. schedule of expert speakers.
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Horticulture is Life
Bord Bia, The Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine and Teagasc are collaborating once again to bring this inspiring, informative and educational feature to life in the Food Village at Bloom. With the theme “Horticulture is Life” the interactive feature demonstrates how each of the agencies work to support the Irish horticulture industry and growers to deliver top quality local, sustainable produce and plants. Each agency has a dedicated area, with staff on hand to highlight their work and answer questions, while a shared wall panel houses three interactive screens inviting visitors to participate in an interactive Q&A and quiz. The lower panel contains a fun, interactive game where children can find out more about fresh produce and growing.
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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.
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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.
Westland Potting Shed
The team at the Westland Potting Shed is inviting everyone to join in and sow their little corner of the earth. The Potting Shed will open its doors every day from 9am to 6pm with an unmissable hands-on experience that’s perfect for both seasoned green thumbs and budding gardeners. This year, Westland is celebrating the joy of gardening in all its different forms, whether that be a vegetable patch, a kitchen herb garden, a blooming border, or even an indoor jungle. Visitors will not only plant their chosen seeds and decorate their pot, but also learn essential gardening techniques to nurture their seedlings into thriving plants. Find the Westland Potting Shed next to the Into The Forest Show Garden, which is the winner of this year’s Cultivating Talent programme sponsored by Westland Horticulture.
Polytunnel Talks
Polytunnel Talks will take place across all five days, featuring expert-led discussions on gardening techniques, practical advice, and best practices. Feel free to pop along and ask any horticultural questions you may have.
Botanical Hub Demo Area
Botanical Hub is an exciting new feature for Bloom 2025, located next to Entrance 1. Here the Association of Irish Floral Artists (AOIFA), the Institute of Flowers, the Irish Orchid Society, and plant experts from our Nursery Village will host live demonstrations and hands-on workshops on a range of topics, from how to make a floral crown to caring for houseplants.
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
Crann – Trees for Ireland joins our ‘Ask the Expert’ area this year with its 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 the show garden of your dreams. Members of the GLDA are experienced garden and landscape designers, many of whom have designed award-winning Bloom show gardens.
Botanical and Floral Art in Bloom Exhibition
Botanical and Floral Art in Bloom is an open submission exhibition that takes place as part of Bord Bia Bloom. Now in its 11th year, it runs until the end of June in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. Members of the public can browse and purchase the beautiful botanical and floral art on display.
The Plant Emporium, in association with Arboretum Garden Centres, Kildare Growers Association and Bord Bia
The Plant Emporium is set among the popular outdoor retail stands located close to the Show Gardens area. This feature is organised in conjunction with Arboretum, Bord Bia and the Kildare Growers Association and offers a wide selection of plants from Irish nurseries, including many featured in the Show Gardens. These plants are grown to the highest quality standards in the Irish climate, making them ideal to grow and thrive in your garden.