Calling all Cork creative amateur gardeners

Postcard Garden 'Fork to Fork' by Longford Town Guild, Irish Countrywomans Association at Bord Bia's Bloom Festival in the Phoenix Park Dublin in 2019. (Picture: Johnny Bambury/Fennells)

Bord Bia Bloom festival returns this June bank holiday weekend from May 28 to June 1 in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

With planning well underway, Bord Bia Bloom is calling for budding gardeners from Cork to submit entries for the popular Postcard garden category.

Postcard gardens offer passionate amateur gardeners, garden clubs, community and GIY groups a chance to showcase their talents to over 115,000 visitors attending the event.

The Postcard gardens are small but perfectly formed 3m x 2m plots which can be used to represent a club, locality, special person or character from your community.

Postcard Garden #PledgeAgainstPlastic by the Irish Girl Guides/Earthology group at Bord Bia’s Bloom Festival in the Phoenix Park Dublin in 2019. (Picture: Johnny Bambury/Fennells)

Last year schools, communities, day care centres and resource centres from around Ireland brought themes such as autism, mental-wellbeing, climate change and children’s literature to life through flowers, planting, art and woodwork.

Longford Town Guild, Irish Countrywomen’s Association received ‘Best in Show’ for their Postcard Garden ‘Fork to Fork’ which demonstrated how we can turn the tide on unsustainable consumption by using the earth around us to feed ourselves. 

Kerrie Gardiner, Bord Bia Bloom Show Garden Manager said: “The Postcard gardens are such a special part of Bloom and are a personal favourite of mine! They offer emerging gardeners and community groups a chance to showcase their talents, while also inspiring other amateur gardeners to get out into nature and experience the joy of gardening.” 

The Postcard Garden application form can be downloaded from BloominthePark.com and the closing date to apply is Monday, March 2, 2020.

Postcard Garden ‘Sphere’ by GRETB/Castlerea Men’s Shed at last year’s Bord Bia’s Bloom Festival in the Phoenix Park Dublin. (Picture: Johnny Bambury/Fennells)

Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s annual showcase of the best of Ireland’s horticulture and food industry is in its fourteenth year, and will once again feature a range of spectacular show gardens, food features, music, fashion, and entertainment for all the family.

With Early Bird tickets on sale until February 28, buy yours today at www.bloominthepark.com and remember, children go free!

Follow Bloom on www.facebook.com/BordBiaBloom and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram via @BordBiaBloom