bloom 2010

foxinsox

www.bloominthepark.ie

Phoenix Park, Dublin
June Bank Holiday
Thu. 3 June - Mon. 7 June 2010

I know it's probably a bit early to start this thread but I have a few friends getting their gardens ready now, praying the plants won't flower to early, that they'll stay alive etc.

We can use this thread to chat about preparation, visits, purchases and any other comments/discussions about bloom 2010 .

Always worth a visit in my opinion.

Anyone here have a garden at bloom this year?

How are the preparations going?

Sorry it's all in bold, my laptop is experiencing technical problems!:)

flutered

mine is in transitional mode at the moment, one spring bed is starting to die, another one is betwixt and between, while the cottage garden one is best not mentioned, :mad:

foxinsox

flutered wrote: »

mine is in transitional mode at the moment, one spring bed is starting to die, another one is betwixt and between, while the cottage garden one is best not mentioned, :mad:

You see that is why I don't think I'd be brave enough to do an exhibition garden, well I know it's hard work just to get a garden.

I'd be a nervous wreck trying to mind all the plants. As I mentioned I've seem my friend's already praying and stressing.

Fair play to you though! Look forward to seeing your garden

foxinsox

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/BloomInthePark?v=wall

Hope this link works, up to date information and chat.

Photos from last year aswell.

foxinsox

2 tickets for the price of 1 if you pay 2 bills at the Post Office.

Details here: http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/Money+Matters/Billpay/Bloom+terms+and+conditions.htm

Dr Galen

didn't go last year, but did the year before. I think I might trip along though, see some of the gardens I aspire to having one day lol

foxinsox

I think it is well worth the trip and if you can get any discount on entrance fee even better!

as far as I know the designers get their "bit of land" this saturday to start their garden build!

Best of luck to all the designers, hope the weather does what you want it to do!

lalorm

Was there last year and will be there again this year.

foxinsox

All designers got their sites last saturday and the planting has begun!

I can't wait I love seeing all the different gardens!

mikom

foxinsox wrote: »

2 tickets for the price of 1 if you pay 2 bills at the Post Office.

Details here: http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/Money+Matters/Billpay/Bloom+terms+and+conditions.htm

If anyone is cash strapped with the recession I noticed the Irish gardeners forum is running a draw for 10 double passes to bloom.

foxinsox

Only a week to go!

I can't wait!
I'd say today's rain is putting the pressure on the designers and raising the stress levels!

fryup

thinking of going too, will it be easy to get parking near by??

doctor evil

What are the trade stands like?

I've worn my way through another pair of gardening gloves and I want to get something decent.

foxinsox

fryup wrote: »

thinking of going too, will it be easy to get parking near by??

"parking nearby?"

Famous last words! :rolleyes:

I decided year before last that I would just park on the road and walk in, cheap as chips. I saw the signs for Bloom and parked near the zoo.

Then walked miles in blistering heat! Never again!

I can't remember last year whether I paid for parking but it was all well organised and no problems getting out, I left about 3pm.

Check out their website, I'm nearly sure most of the roads are coned so no free parking near the show! Check this though I'm not sure!

foxinsox

doctor evil wrote: »

What are the trade stands like?

I've worn my way through another pair of gardening gloves and I want to get something decent.

There is a full guide to all stands in June's The Irish Garden Magazine.

By the way if you book tickets online you get €5 off €20 tickets.

If you book online and quote promo code IGM10 you get €7 off.

I've found that the stands are usually slightly more expensive than the shops, but there are some interesting and different plants. I'm not sure about gloves!

The food stands are fantastic and there is lots of talks going on.

The Fool

2 for 1 deal in todays Irish Times

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055924818

mct1

Last year we were given complimentary tickets, so we were able to avoid the horrendous (approx 30 minute long) entrance queue on Sat morning.

Does anyone know if you buy your tickets online, does that mean you can avoid the ticket queue? It would be worth the extra few euro to us after a long drive up.

Molls2010

I noticed alot of sites had competitions for free bloom tickets, as its now too late to answer, anyone have any idea where there might be some?

lucylu

mct1 wrote: »

Last year we were given complimentary tickets, so we were able to avoid the horrendous (approx 30 minute long) entrance queue on Sat morning.

Does anyone know if you buy your tickets online, does that mean you can avoid the ticket queue? It would be worth the extra few euro to us after a long drive up.

You can buy your tickets online and print them out yourself, this should alleviate queuing

fryup

^^^^^^^^^

why is there a different entrance for pre-bought tickets??

foxinsox

Just read on the Bloom facebook page that there is a shuttle bus from Hueston Station up to the show!

I'm going Thursday so can't wait to see the gardens!

philstar

i take it this is ireland's answer to the chelsea flower show ?

lucylu

I wouldn't call this Irelands answer to the Chelsea flower show. To me it is modeled on The BBC Gardeners World Live in Birmingham to be held on the week on June 14th
Chelsea is for people who like Gardens - you can only buy seeds, bulbs and garden sundries- Alot of items are display only however there is a plant sell off on the Sunday afternoon. no Kids are allowed in Chelsea
Gardeners world show is for Gardeners - you can by plants seeds, bulbs and garden sundries talk to top Gardeners etc. Gardeners world also has the Good Food and lifestyle and Country and Outdoors displays included.Kids are allowed

For this reason I would say it is more like the BBC Gardeners World Live

fryup

can someone please answer this- if i purchase pre-bought tickets online does that mean i get in quicker and avoid queueing up??

Sonnenblumen

^^^ I would agree with Lucylu analysis but would add that each year there is a clear and increasing emphasis on 'non-garden elements' eg in particular Food, which will dilute any aspirations of the event being compared to Chelsea.

Still Bloom is an exciting and interesting event and well worth visiting.

VERYinterested

fryup wrote: »

can someone please answer this- if i purchase pre-bought tickets online does that mean i get in quicker and avoid queueing up??

I have gone for the last 3 years and was lucky to have my tickets in advance and yes, there was a different queue if you already had your ticket in your hand. We walked straight in, no queuing.

mct1

Just realised that the Irish Times 2 for 1 coupon will save the two of us €11 on the online + Irish Garden offer price, so I guess for that it's worth queuing - recession and all that.

inigo

Are there any coupons in today's (Thursday) Irish Times?

average_runner

I think this festival is more a mix of trades!
Yes there is some gardening stuff but then there is so much non gardening stuff from cooking stuff to be able to buy jumpers at it or even colleges advertising all their courses at it.

The gardens are nice to look at, but i think this festival is really good if you kids as is a great day out for them with the small concerts on etc.
Anyone going to this bring your own food or bring your cheque book otherwise

mollzer

average_runner wrote: »

The gardens are nice to look at, but i think this festival is really good if you kids as is a great day out for them with the small concerts on etc.
Anyone going to this bring your own food or bring your cheque book otherwise

I've been to Bloom the past 2 years and found it to be a great day out for myself, partner and 2 children.

Will be heading there again tommorow, picnic at the ready and a few bob for the kids to spend on their now annual Cacti purchase

Good luck to all the Gardeners with gardens on show this year, cant wait to pick up some ideas from the experts!

arse..biscuits

I was there today, I heard someone giving out about the price of water. There are water taps so bring a bottle as it was verrrrrrrrrrry hot there today.

fryup

so is it worth going to?? are the Qs terrible??

lucylu

We drove up today to Phoenix park from via the city centre route (Islandbridge) and the traffic entering the red Car park was very slow.It took us 40 minutes to park the car at 11.45 from entering Phoenix Park.
We prebooked our tickets and walked straight in with no queues.

We left at 4.30 and it was 6.00 pm before we got to newlands cross then add 1 hour journey home.It took 45 mins to leave the Phoenix Park the way we came in.
The 1st pavillion hosts the majority of the plants and also the floral displays.
Outside the plant creche is a great service run by teenagers who will wheelbarrow your plants for you to your car.

The floral highlight for me was the Leamore Nursery display ( I think) they has two fanstatic paeony roses " Red Charm" & "Paula Fay". they were sold out when I got back to it!
There is excellent value in Bulbs especially lillies 15 bulbs for €20 or 9 for €10 depending where you go!

I was glad to see the introduction of Irish gardening products such as Neutrog - Irish Garden Fertilizers made in Clones and Irish Organic weedkiller owk.ie made in athenry.

my favourite garden was the Rain Garden by Jane McCorkell

Love Irish Food were well represented with food samples galore were to be tasted.
There was a queue for the food tent Bistro bloom so we got quiches from the Food Market Marquees and lots of goodies to bring home

Take a stroll around the walled garden also, this would be a nice spot to have your lunch/picnic.
Apart from the 5 hours driving on a hot day- we had a fantastic day and a boot filled with new plants

foxinsox

I went to Bloom yesterday, I enjoyed the day but it was very hot and the heat in the marquees/tents was unbearable.

It did seem to be busier than the last few years, as Lucylu already said the traffic into the car park was horrible, nearly melted in the car just waiting to get in to park. We drove past Hueston Station at 11am and got out of the car at 11:50am slightly hot and bothered!

There seems to be defnitely a difference in the show gardens this year, much less of the over the top "loadsa money" type gardens. There seemed to be a return to greener and more natural gardens with native planting.

There did seem to be something missing, I can't put my finger on it, but I just didn't feel as "wowed" as I have other years. The gardens were nice but nothing spectacular or anything that we haven't seen before.

There were a lot more stalls selling non-gardening related things this year I thought.

As mentioned above there are taps to fill water bottles so bring your own, it will save you queueing. Everybody seems to decide to eat at 1pm so go a little earlier or bring your own lunch!

I had free tickets so enjoyed the day and got a free tree from Irish Wildlife Trust and sampled some fine freebie food!


My favourite garden was:

Nemeton by Talamh Landscapes


Forgot to mention: If any of you are looking for Gardening books, there is a guy in the second tent sellling books, the prices are fantastic, some of them up to €15 cheaper than the shops.

philstar

question - are the car parks close to the venue or do i have to walk for miles??

sector_000

Anyone know if the 2-for-1 discount is in today's Irish Times?? :rolleyes:

micks

sector_000 wrote: »

Anyone know if the 2-for-1 discount is in today's Irish Times?? :rolleyes:

from thread in BA http://www.mrmiddleton.com/images/stories/topmodules/bloom-2010-mm-offer-ticket.pdf?ml=4&mlt=vx01&tmpl=

mct1

We went yesterday and really enjoyed the day. We drove up from Wexford and arrived at 11.30. It took us 20 minutes to get parked but there was NO queue at all to buy tickets (at the same time and day last year there was a 30 minute queue so clearly they've got more sussed).

Agree that the show gardens lacked something from the previous year - I suspect it was money! But we saw plenty that gave us ideas for our own garden; no one outright favourite - and definitely not the one that looked like a memorial (mystified as to how it got a gold medal).

We bought tons of fabulous Irish goat's cheese from the food tent. Was tempted by the offer of 110 aliums for €25, but couldn't think of anywhere to put them! Met a few familiar faces and left at 4pm - home by 6, then out to a barbie.

All in all a great day and well worth €25 for the 2 of us (Irish Times offer) and the journey.

pullandbang

For anyone interested is browsing lots of photos from Bloom, then have a look here on Pix.ie

unkel

Was there this afternoon. Knew the weather was going to be bad, but we came waterproofed Just as well as it rained non-stop for all the time we were there

Getting there (and getting back out) was fine I parked in the green car park very near the entrance just before 3PM, despite the marshals trying to send me the wrong way :rolleyes:

Couldn't believe how busy it was. Did not even attempt to go into the main marquee until after 4PM (3 small kids and buggy)

Was disappointed there wasn't a Kealy's show stand like last year when they gave away all the fruit & veg for free at the end of the show, but I was delighted to buy some lovely stuff cheaply, including coriander and basil plants for a euro each. At the buy one get one free rate with children free, it cost us a total of €25 admission for the 5 of us, which is ok

Will probably go again next year...