There is so much to see at this years Bloom and the standard of the show gardens is really high. This is reflected in the awards with the judges giving a medal to each garden for the first time since the garden festival started. Away from the main show gardens stuck in an unflattering corner of the outdoor retail area is a garden that is designed to create the atmosphere of a woodland bog. This is Portach designed by Rita Higgins & Paul Quirke from Anú Green and Peter Little from Hortisculptures, Cork. Despite the visual distraction of bight red crepe stalls and bustling activity all round, the garden entered in the category of Engaging Space achieves its aim.
Created using natural materials and planted with a combination of both native and organic plant species to maximize biodiversity, the moist and magical atmosphere of a woodland garden oozes from the the earth and the structures. Constructed beneath the dome of a massive sculpture that mimics a woodland tree canopy, mosses and foliage provide a verdant foil for airy flowers of Rodgersia flowers. Pendant pods are cosy enclosures dangling from the dome, while the bog oak sculpture and framework is reflected in a still water pool. An intriguing garden that blends art and horticulture, wood and steel, natives and exotics; a beautiful garden combining humans’ artistry with nature’s magic.
Ciaran The Gardener 