Bord Bia Bloom confirms gardening and horticulture line-up

Bord Bia Bloom has announced its gardening and horticulture line-up for this year's event, taking place from 28 May to 1 June.

Bloom 2026 will feature 20 spectacular show gardens from top Irish and international designers, 14 postcard gardens and 17 plant nurseries and floral artists.

It will also feature two new horticulture and gardening features as well as 35 interactive talks and demos on the Garden Stage over five days in the Phoenix Park.

Kerrie Gardiner, show gardens and horticulture manager for Bord Bia Bloom, said: “Bloom has always been about bringing people together and connecting them to nature, and this year’s programme really demonstrates that.

“This is a special year, as we mark 20 years of the festival, and we have added some exciting new gardening features that we think attendees will really enjoy.

“Our aim is to inspire people to implement concepts from Bloom within their personal gardens or communities.”

Fingal Nurturing Communities through nature, designed by Daibhí Mac Domhnaill along with ÁIT team, and sponsored by Fingal County Council, aims to explore the value of communities and how to nurture them both locally and globally.

Oliver and Liat Schurmann’s Shared Roots, Common Shade garden, sponsored by the European Commission, aims to explore the same theme.

Other designs focus on evolving family life, such as the Citroën Family Flexible Gaden, by Joshua Fenton and sponsored by Citroën Ireland, as well as gardens that champion hands-on learning, like the I Can Create That Garden with Q102, designed by Carleen Osborne.

Wellbeing is also a core theme at Bloom, with gardens including Empowering at Every Step, Rooted in Resilience, and A Moment for Myself putting all aspects of health and wellness front and centre.

Other gardens explore themes of environmental stewardship and sustainable food systems, as well as gardens and resources that aim to inspire design at any size, such as Bord Bia’s ‘Easy Steps To Dream Gardens,’ which enables people to recreate their own Show Garden at home.

The popular Postcard Gardens, supported by Tirlán CountryLife, will return to Bloom, with 14 designs showcasing imaginative spaces on topics such as native bat habitats, growing community and belonging through gardening, as well as celebrating biodiversity in rural locations.

Meanwhile, 17 plant nurseries and floral artists will be on display in the Nursery Village, in association with Smartfence, where attendees can meet expert growers and representatives while purchasing quality, specialist plants.

Mark Your Mark Market is one of the new horticultural features to look forward to at this year’s event, which will see some of Ireland’s most talented growers come together to showcase fresh, seasonal produce.

The Plants Showcase will also make a splash, with leading nurseries and plant breeders nationwide offering an inspiring first look at the colours, forms and resilience shaping the future of Irish gardening.

The Garden Stage, sponsored by Sunrise, will feature a wide range of speakers, including Diarmuid Gavin, Adam Frost, Peter Dowdall, Ealma Purcell, and Marie Staunton, to name a few.

For more information, visit the Bord Bia Bloom website.

(Pic: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography)