Blooming temptations- Floral Pavilion at Bloom

The last day approaches, Bloom 2011 is nearing the end. We really enjoy doing our stand at the show, not only do we get to meet lots of  keen gardeners but we also get to catch up with our friends from the nurseries. There is always a great camaraderie between the participants at Bloom, sharing food, watching each others stands and swapping stories. Even though the days are long and the work  is tiring, there are always plenty of laughs. Lots of chat about plants takes place, opinions, recommendations and critical appraisal. There is also lots of temptation. Each year I promise myself that I will exercise amazing self control and not buy many plants. This year, like each year before, my resolve has crumbled when presented with the wonderful choice of beauties on display. I could not resist the double flowered ragged robin, Lychins flos-cuculli ‘Jenny’ from Kilmurry nursery, nor the biggest hosta in the world, so they say, that can reach 1.2m high with huge leaves, Hosta “Empress Wu’ from Boyne Garden Centre.

There are too many to mention, not all were purchased but there is still tomorrow to go. Below are some of the delights on offer at Bloom. (click on image to enlarge).

Clematis ‘Ooh La La’ – Ashbourne Climbers

Paeonia ‘Bowl of Beauty’ – Boyne Garden Centre

Papaver orientale ‘Karine’ – Boyne Garden Centre

White Foxglove – Boyne Garden Centre

Paeonia ‘Bowl of Beauty’ – Boyne Garden Centre

Paeonia ‘Bowl of Beauty’ – Boyne Garden Centre

Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’ – Boyne Garden Centre

Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’ – Boyne Garden Centre

Astrantia – Mount Venus Nursery

Mount Venus Nursery Display

Eryngium flower

Papaver orientale – Kilmurry Nursery

Papaver orientale – Kilmurry Nursery

Papaver orientale – Kilmurry Nursery

Verbascum and Achillea Kilmurry Nursery

Verbascum and Achillea Kilmurry Nursery

Verbascum and Achillea Kilmurry Nursery

Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Jenny – Kilmurry Nursery

Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Jenny’ – Kilmurry Nursery

Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Jenny’ – Kilmurry Nursery

Foxgloves – Kilmurry Nursery

Foxgloves – Kilmurry

Mount Venus Nursery display

Eryngium – Mount Venus Nursery

Anthericum liliago – Mount Venus Nursery

Disporum cantoniense ‘Night Heron’ – Mount Venus Nursery

Disporum cantoniense ‘Night Heron’ – Mount Venus Nursery

Gillenia trifoliata’ – Mount Venus Nursery

Gillenia trifoliata’ – Mount Venus Nursery

Digitalis purpurea ‘Pam’s Choice’ – Kilmurry Nursery

THURSDAY 2ND JUNE- FIRST DAY AT BLOOM

Silver Medal for The Garden School stand at Bloom 2011

Our day started early. With a raucous choir of bird song under a low grey sky, I watered the plants in the tunnels at home. We fed the cats, drank some coffee and loaded the last few items into the car. We closed the garden gate in Mayo at 6 am and hit the road for Dublin. Just after 8.30 am we entered the Phoenix Park. Last minute preparations continued for about 90 minutes until the doors opened on the garden festival, Bloom 2011 commenced. The judges gave us a silver medal for our interactive educational stand in the floral pavilion, which is a nice recognition of the preparation and work which we had carried out. It was a good start for what proved to be a very busy day, As the morning progressed the low grey cloud which had stretched all the way from Mayo to Dublin blew away in the breeze. The temperature soared and happy faces were everywhere, a blue sky stayed until the sun went down.

We did not get  a chance to see any of the show apart from our own stand and a quick glance at some of our heighbours in the floral pavilion. Kilmurry Nursery, run by the energetic Orla and Paul Woods, based in Co. Wexford won a gold medal and best in show award for nursery display. Packed with colour and floriferously desireable herbaceous perennials, a central mirror multiplies the colour display. A rich blue Delphinium hansenii ‘Independence’ caught my eye, The more demure Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘White robin’ is a supernb plant gracing their stand. We bought it from them a good few years ago and it flowers for months on end in our garden where it self sows in a polite manner. Our own stand is enhanced with Kilmurry Nursery plants. Needing height in a corner, we went searching for some interesting plant. Orla gave us three plants of Iris ‘Tol Long’. A blue flowered iris with dark desirable flower stems. One which she recommends for any reasonable garden soil, they grow it in their garden and we will soon grow it in ours.

LYCHNIS FLOS-CUCULI 'WHITE ROBIN'

IRIS 'TOL LONG' FLOWER

From our stand we could admire the beautifully blousey blooms of herbaceous peony roses on Leamore Nursery’s display. Paeonia ‘White Wings’ is a cool single white while Paeonia ‘Coral Sunset’ is a sumptuous frilly peachy pink. The floral pavilion always ahs so many plants to tempt and beautiful displays to admire. We will be up early tomorrow morning, aiming to get to Bloom early and view more of the displays and show gardens before the show opens at 10 am.

PEAONIA 'WHITE WINGS'

PAEONIA 'CORAL SUNSET' FLOWERS

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Day in the Botanic Gardens