Mayo designer to feature in Bord Bia Bloom gardening festival following major win

A designer from Mayo has been announced as the winner of the highly competitive Bord Bia Bloom Cultivating Talent initiative which aims to nurture the next generation of garden designers and horticulture professionals.

Following her major success, Sarah Cotterill will be among the new designers showcasing their uniquely designed show gardens for this year's Bord Bia Bloom event which will take place from May 29th to June 2nd in the Phoenix Park. Her garden 'Into the Woods' will be a tribute to the unique Atlantic rainforests of Ireland.

The Ballina woman is an Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at UCD and has a keen interest in sustainable water management. Sarah was previously awarded a Silver Medal at RHS Hampton Court in the Resilient Pocket Planting category in 2024.

The exciting line-up for the five-day festival was announced on Tuesday. The renowned Irish gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin will headline the event alongside BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost. The pair will take part in a series of talks and discussions on the Garden Stage at the highly anticipated family festival which is now in its 19th year.

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As well as this, the Garden Stage will host over 40 horticultural talks and share advice from a panel of experts.

Festival-goers will get the chance to see 21 stunning show gardens that tell stories on a range of themes. Some of these fascinating themes include the 'Make A Wish Foundation Garden' designed by Linda McKeown and 'GRÁ' designed by Kathryn Feeley for Dogs Trust.

Over 100,000 are expected to to visit the 70 acre festival site over the June Bank Holiday weekend to explore all of the exciting gardens and activities on offer.

Speaking at the announcement of the festival on Tuesday, Laura Douglas, Head of Bord Bia Bloom, said: "Bloom has continued to evolve over the last 19 years to consistently deliver a worldclass event that inspires, educates and entertains our visitors while making sure to offer new and exciting experiences each year. As a festival that has gardening, food and sustainable living at its heart, we look forward to announcing a range of other features and experiences for this year’s event over the coming weeks."

If you're interested in attending the festival to show your support for Mayo woman Sarah Cotterill and see everything Bloom has to offer, early-bird tickets are available until March 30th and are on sale via the Bord Bia Bloom website. Tickets start at just €25.