Saturday 30 May 2015

Bloom in the Park!

I am pleased to say, this is a bank holiday weekend in Ireland meaning a much needed extra day off work! This weekend always marks the 'start' of summer for me as Bloom is held in the Phoenix Park. 

Beauty Full - Silver Medal

Beech Park Gardens

Bloom is Ireland's version of the Chelsea flower show, it's a big garden extravaganza! You can find out more and check out last years visit here.

Calor's Coast Garden - Bronze Medal

Cetriz Summer - Bronze Medal

RTE's Supergarden Winner - Silver Gilt Medal

While the weather was not exactly summer-like, the show provided so much garden inspiration. Before I show you my 'best in show' here a a few pics of the showgardens...

Contemporary Expression Garden - Silver Medal

Freddy Button's Garden - Silver Medal

'Darkness into Light'

Crumlin Children's Hospital Garden - Gold Medal

Atlantic Youth Trust - Bronze Medal

'Our origin is Green'

My absolute favourite garden was gold medal winning 
Yeats' Secret Garden in Sligo
I just love the concept behind this garden...


"This garden is purely imaginary. It exists only in the head of the poet; the private bolthole in his beloved Sligo that Yeat's dreamed of while living in smoggy, grey London. Peeking in, we are voyeurs, seeing a clearing on a wooded island, with the lake lapping on the tree-lined shore beyond. Nothing is perfect - Yeats hasn't tried to tame or tidy his secret hideaway. He has just built himself a makeshift cabin amongst the trees, and grown a few vegetables and wildflowers. His grandfather's bee skep lies abandoned in favour of the new 'Modern' CDB bee hive, but this space is primarily for writing and being at peace in a landscape he loves. He has scrounged discarded items from family and friends, laboriously rowing them to the island, along with a few sentimental treasures. Together they make a garden that is his inspiration."


This was my favourite garden for so many reasons.  Firstly it's a style of gardening that I love; wild, native and unkempt. Secondly, Sligo has a special place in my heart as my Grandfather was born there. But most importantly it's combines gardening and poetry. Poetry by one of my favourite writers, W.B. Yeats, whose face adorns my walls. And one poem in particular which I learned in national school is brought to life in this garden; 


The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

'I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattle made:
Nine bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core'.


Follow on Bloglovin  

12 comments:

  1. OMGOODNESS! What a wonderful event. I love these kinds of things! xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  2. The gardens are all beautiful, and you made your favourite really come alive by telling us the poem. I was once lucky enough to attend the garden show at Hampton Court Palace, it was an AMAZING day out although very tiring as the weather was hot, not that I'm complaining as rain would certainly have spoiled the day. Sadly these things are not usually very wheelchair friendly, so I don't get to go now and it's never the same seeing it on the TV.

    On another note, did you get the last email I sent, and if so, did I put you off, or have you replied and it's got lost or worse still, deleted amongst all the spam I get?

    Have a great weekend

    Judi in the UK

    ReplyDelete
  3. The gardens were very pretty and the building are so cute. I can see why you liked the imagination garden!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I so enjoyed your photo essay and reading your post. I have always dreamed about attending the Chelsea flower show in England and now I've added Bloom in Ireland to my "must see" list. Pretty post.
    xo,
    Vera

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOVE the Yeats garden. We are trying to give our rather bare new garden a bit of life so this post is great inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such gorgeous gardens...especially Yeats...breathtaking!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely post. My favorite is the Yeat's garden, as well. So earthy and soulful. Thank you for giving us a look at it. xo ~ Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  8. I read that poem years ago. Thank you for reminding me of it! The Yeat's garden is so charming. I see some lupines in the gardens, which makes me envious. It gets too hot for them here, but I think they are beautiful. We have had so much rain the last month, it almost looks as green as Ireland here. :-))

    ReplyDelete
  9. I read that poem years ago. Thank you for reminding me of it! The Yeat's garden is so charming. I see some lupines in the gardens, which makes me envious. It gets too hot for them here, but I think they are beautiful. We have had so much rain the last month, it almost looks as green as Ireland here. :-))

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your favorite garden is my favorite also.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I had missed this post! I love the garden and the idea behind its creation.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Not beats a beautiful garden, I every year attend our garden show, it's always so interesting and inspiring to see the new things each year.
    Would love to travel to a more distant show, perhaps someday soon.

    Xx
    Your favorite I love as well.

    Dore

    ReplyDelete

You might also like...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...