Mayo designer wins Bord Bia Bloom Cultivating Talent initiative

BORD Bia Bloom has announced an exciting line-up of local and international horticultural talent for the five-day festival, which takes place from May 29 to June 2.

Among the new designers for 2025 is Ballina-based Sarah Cotterill, winner of Bord Bia Bloom’s Cultivating Talent initiative, sponsored by Westland, which aims to nurture the next generation of garden designers and horticulture professionals.

An Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at UCD with a keen interest in sustainable water management, Sarah was awarded a Silver Medal at RHS Hampton Court in the Resilient Pocket Planting category in 2024.

Her garden ‘Into the Woods’ will be a tribute to the unique Atlantic rainforests of Ireland.

Among the headliners at this year's Bloom are homegrown gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin and BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost, who will both take part in a series of talks and discussions on the Garden Stage at the much-loved flowers, food, and family festival.

As Ireland’s premier gardening event, Bord Bia Bloom provides a platform to promote the best of horticultural talent, ideas and trends. At the heart of the show, visitors will be delighted by 21 stunning show gardens that will tell stories on a range of themes.

The popular Postcard Gardens feature also returns and provides community groups with the opportunity to tell local stories to a national audience through creative garden design.

The Garden Stage will host 40 horticultural talks and share advice from a panel of experts. The Nursery Village will display a vast collection of rare and quality plants from Irish and international plant nurseries which are available to purchase.

Early-bird tickets (€25) are available until March 30 and are on sale via https://www.bordbiabloom.com/. Two children (aged 16 and under) go free with each adult ticket purchased. A family early bird ticket is also available, priced at €45 for two adults and up to four children.