This summer Bord Bia is encouraging the Irish public to come together and Bloom from their own homes on Sunday, 31st of May.
Bord Bia’s Bloom At Home will feature a series of online events, including Q&As and talks, cookery demonstrations with quality assured, in-season produce and entertainment from some of Bord Bia Bloom’s long-time participants, bringing a flavour of Ireland’s largest gardening and lifestyle festival into people’s homes this June Bank Holiday weekend.
From preparing vibrant flower beds and much-loved house plants, to creating a wildflower meadow at home, or preparing a back garden picnic, there is a range of ways the public can get involved.
In advance of Bloom At Home, Bord Bia will showcase some of the participants who take part in the festival each year, including show garden designers, food and drink producers, charities and NGOs. Advice and tips on how to get your garden or plants ready for the Bank Holiday weekend, along with information on how to support some of the exhibitors, organisations and charities who take part in the annual event will be shared on Bloom’s social media channels.
Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy said: “Although we can’t host Bord Bia Bloom in the Phoenix Park this year, Bloom At Home is a chance for us to celebrate the start of summer with the festival’s many fans and participants. For the past thirteen years, Bloom has become a platform for Bord Bia to highlight the joys of gardening and indigenous horticulture and promote the best of Irish artisan food and drink, while also raising awareness around important issues such as climate change and sustainability. These topics are as vital as ever as we navigate the current crisis in our own homes and communities. Through Bloom At Home we want to recognise one of most important elements of the annual festival during the Covid-19 crisis; the coming together of many different facets of Irish society on the June Bank Holiday weekend.”
In partnership with RTÉ, Bord Bia is running a competition to encourage the Irish public to share images and videos of their gardens and plants on social media. Whether you have a spacious garden, an apartment balcony, or a window sill of indoor plants, everyone is invited to enter using the #BloomwithRTE on Sunday, May 31st. There will be a range of prizes on offer for effort, fun and colour.
Bord Bia Bloom Show Manager Gary Graham says everyone can get involved in the competition, from those who are cocooning to families who are getting active in the garden together: “Covid-19 has brought us many challenges but it has also given some us more time to experience the joy of gardening at what is the most exciting time of year for growing and planting. In May, when temperatures are on the up and frosty nights are rare, there is so much to do whatever your location, budget or skill set. A gardening project is a great way to fill your time at home and get your creative juices flowing. Try building a bug hotel and re-wilding an area for wildlife, or plant some pollinators and make some space for birds. We’re encouraging everyone, no matter what space they have available, to get out there and give it a go!”
The public can follow Bloom At Home updates across Bloom’s social media channels, @BordBiaBloom on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and on BordBiaBloom.com.
