Sustainable designs sweep top awards at Bloom 2025

Show Garden Medal Presentations 2025 Jim O'Toole, CEO Bord Bia, Kerrie Gardiner, Bloom Show Gardens & Horticulture content manager and Laura Douglas, head of Bord Bia Bloom present designers Ailish Drake and Conor Hourigan with a Gold medal for the Nature Wrapped in Gold Garden sponsored by Kerrygold in the Concept Show Garden Category (Photos by Fennell Photography)

Repak and European Commission gardens win top medals as Bloom celebrates innovation in recycling, repurposing, and circular design

Horticulture

2 June 2025

Two show gardens highlighting the importance of recycling, repurposing and the circular economy were awarded best large and best medium gardens at Bord Bia Bloom 2025.

The overall large garden category award went to the Repak Most Sorted Garden, designed by James Purdy and the overall medium garden category award was presented to The European Commission’s ‘Renewed Blooms’ Garden, designed by David Negus.

All 21 show gardens showcased at this year’s festival are designed with sustainability in mind and incorporate environmental measures; however, these two gardens particularly convey strong sustainability messages for visitors to take home.

A total of 19 medals*, including eight gold medals, were awarded to show gardens in advance of the show opening to the public this morning.

The overall small garden winner was The Pot Gallery Garden, designed by Alan Rudden, which demonstrates how freestanding and vertical pots can create green spaces on terraces, roofs or balconies.

The overall concept garden winner was The Rainbow Brick Balcony Garden designed by Limerick artist, Gary Kirwan, as a tribute to LEGO.

Playful and unique, this garden is constructed from over 800,000 pieces over eight weeks and will be reused at family-oriented events run by Brick Shows Ireland around the country.

Chief garden judge, Andrew Wilson said: “Each year we come to Bloom the quality of the show gardens steps up an extra notch. The judging panel has been delighted by the range of ideas, the creativity, and the quality of the gardens this year. It’s especially great to see sustainable ideas at the fore.

“We are seeing this with recycling, the choice of planting, and the reuse and repurposing of materials throughout the gardens. Visitors to Bloom will have a ball visiting the show gardens and are guaranteed to get some great ideas to take home.”

Other horticultural awards

In the Nursery Village, a total of 16 medals were awarded to new and returning plant nurseries.

This year’s Postcard Gardens, which are small but perfectly formed gardens created by community groups received 11 medals. A full list of all medal winners can be accessed here.

Jim O’Toole, chief executive, Bord Bia, said: “I would like to congratulate all the medal winners whose creativity and expertise has been justly rewarded. Now the public can appreciate their inspiring horticulture displays over the next five days. We have an action-packed schedule ahead with something for everyone, including over 300 performances and demonstrations across seven stages. Visitors can pick-up gardening tips and tricks, advice on sustainable living; and try the best of Irish food and drink.”

To discover the remaining event programme, visit bordbiabloom.com