There’s a bloomin’ great line-up at the Allianz Garden Show Ireland – the show that officially kicks off spring for Irish gardeners. This year it’s back in the glorious Antrim Castle Gardens, and bigger than ever, packed with fantastic show gardens, plant stalls, inspiration and fascinating insights into all things gardening.
Star attraction is the feature garden, created by Ian Price, fresh from winning a gold medal at last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. His ‘Meditation Garden’, created in conjunction with Northern Ireland charity Aware, explores the links between the benefits of gardening for mental health. And of course, Ireland’s best specialist nurseries will have hundreds of rare and unusual plants on show for the avid gardener.
One of this year’s new features is the Artisan Flower Pavilion, playing host to local growers Cherry Townend, from Kilcoan Gardens, and Alison Drennan from Beechfield Flower Farm as well as botanical artist Alison Walker. You can also watch demonstrations by professional tree climbers using some of the magnificent trees in Antrim Castle Gardens’ parkland.
Then there’s the Allianz Primary Schools Miniature Gardens challenge, in which schoolchildren compete to see who can create the best garden in a container; and a mouthwatering array of foodie stands. This year celebrity chef Paula McIntyre is demonstrating ways to use local produce in enticing new recipes, while Mark Diacono of Otter Farm in Devon, south-west England, is advising on how to grow food for flavour.
Just remember to take your notebook so you can scribble down all those great ideas and then bring them into us at the garden centre here in Athlone when you get home; we’ll be happy to help you recreate the look in your own backyard!
The Allianz Garden Show Ireland runs from 4-6 May at Antrim Castle Gardens, Co Antrim. For more details visit gardenshowireland.com.
