A staple of the June Bank Holiday Weekend, Bloom is an annual extravaganza of food, fashion, flowers and craft.
Now celebrating its 18th year, Ireland's premier garden festival takes place across 70 beautiful acres of Dublin's Phoenix Park over the course of five days (May 30 - June 3).
This spectacular gardening event is a great coming together for garden designers, flower growers, landscapers, garden-furniture makers, food fanatics and anyone who loves to spend time in nature.
Laura Douglas, Head of Bord Bia Bloom, recommended that attendees visit the Plan Your Day feature so as to get the most out of their trip:
"My number one tip is to plan your visit as there is so much to see! With five stages offering almost 200 talks, demos and performances across the festival's five days, I would recommend booking tickers online ahead of time."
"We would also encourage visitors to consider simple ways to make their visit as sustainable as possible," she adds. "We have green transport options and extended bike racks in place, and would encourage attendees to bring their own reusable water bottle or cup to avail of onsite discounts and hydration stations.
"These simple actions support our wider commitment to creating a more sustainable event that also facilitates knowledge sharing and positive action."
So, with so much going on, what are the the areas that simply can't be missed?
1. Walk in Beauty
As always, RTÉ will be on-site to deliver great music and exclusive events for visitors. This year, RTÉ Lyricfm's Liz Nolan has created an hour-long programme, Walk in Beauty, that patrons can access on rte.ie and the RTÉ Radio Player via a QR code on site.
Simply pop on your headphones and listen to classical music as you take in the beautiful surroundings. You can see the full RTÉ line up here.
2. Taste the best of Irish
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With almost 100 food and drink companies, the bustling Food Village and Bloom Inn will be a guaranteed stop. Enjoy a sampling of delicious dishes, or sit down for something more substantial in one of the four on-site restaurants.
The Food Village will be home to 70 of Ireland's top food and non-alcoholic drink producers, so take your time and browse the market, sample bites from Ireland's leading artisan producers, and purchase some tasty treats to bring home.
3. Check out the Super Garden winner
On Tuesday night, the finale of Super Garden revealed John Dooley as the winner of the 2024 season. The Kildare man created a 'Back to the Future' garden that created a low-maintenance, sustainable, and bio diverse garden for Daija and her two daughters, Amanda and Amelia. John's design accommodated Daija's scoliosis and offered an easy-to-care-for space for the family to enjoy.
You can see the beautifully colourful garden at Bloom this weekend - located at slot seven on the Show Garden map. Find at more about the winning garden here.
4. Enjoy live cookery demonstrations
The Quality Kitchen Stage will host some of Ireland's leading chefs including Darina Allen, Neven Maguire, Catherine Fulvio, Rory O'Connell, Fiona Uyema, Edward Hayden, Trisha Lewis, Adrian Martin, Erica Drum, Shane Smith and Brian McDermott.
The demos will cover everything from handy air-fryer recipes to baking essentials and summer dining. Additionally, the stage will play host to a number of fascinating interviews with more than 40 Irish food producers.
5. Check out some workshops (for grown ups and kids)
The Sustainable Living Stage will be a hub of eco-friendly activity, with fantastic discussions on food waste, growing your own veg, saving energy at home, and much more.
Elsewhere, the Garden Stage will invite industry experts in to discuss common plant problems and the best way to cultivate health in your garden.
Meanwhile, the Budding Bloomers Stage will be a must-visit for little ones who are interested in learning about the buzz of bees, the science of bubbles, and the importance of staying healthy while growing up. You can see the day-by-day line up here.
6. The Craft Village
The Irish Craft Village presents an exciting selection of work from some of Ireland's most creative designers and makers. Watch in awe as some of the country's most skilled craftspeople transform raw materials into a finished design before your eyes.
Stop by in the Conservation Area to see 15 charities and organisations host talks and workshops over the weekend including the Irish Wildlife Trust, Irish Seed Savers, and Birdwatch Ireland.
7. Postcard and show gardens
Of course, no trip to Bloom would be complete without a walk around the stunning selection of postcard gardens and show gardens.
Described as the 'jewel in the crown' of Bloom, a total of 22 small, medium and large show gardens and feature gardens will reflect colourful examples of the most recent trends and advancements in garden design. There will also be special guests, panel discussions, and musical performances happening at the gardens throughout the event.
Elsewhere, gardening enthusiasts are sure to find plenty of inspiration in the Postcard Gardens, which include 13 small but beautiful pop-up gardens designed and built by a range of community groups, schools, and training groups across Ireland.
The Plant Clinic will also be available to those in need of some plant-related support.
