Bord Bia Bloom 2026 Begins: Celebrating 20 Years of Ireland’s Favourite Garden Festival

Bord Bia Bloom 2026 is here! The 20th anniversary week has begun and it’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again.

Last year’s Bord Bia Bloom feels like only yesterday.

It’s hard to believe that twelve months have passed since we proudly stood beside our own show garden — Nourish: The Caragh Nurseries Garden, designed so beautifully by Leonie Cornelius — welcoming visitors, chatting with fellow plant lovers, and soaking up the atmosphere that makes Bloom such a special week in the gardening calendar.

Tomorrow marks Press Day at Bord Bia Bloom 2026, before the gates officially open to the public on Thursday morning, when this year’s medals will also be announced. There’s always an extra buzz in the air ahead of judging day — a mixture of excitement, nerves, anticipation, and admiration for the incredible work that goes into bringing these gardens to life.

Bord Bia Bloom’s 20th Anniversary

This year’s event feels even more special as Bloom celebrates its 20th anniversary — two decades of showcasing the very best of Irish horticulture, creativity, planting, food, and garden design. It’s amazing to think how much the festival has grown over the years, and what an important place it now holds for gardeners and garden lovers across Ireland.

Over the past week, we thoroughly enjoyed sharing highlights, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes moments from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and we’re delighted to say we’ll be bringing that same coverage and excitement to Bloom all week long. From show gardens and planting ideas to floral displays, people, atmosphere, and little moments in between — we can’t wait to share it all with you again.

Show Gardens We’re Excited to See

There are already a few gardens we’re especially looking forward to seeing properly over the coming days, including Joe Eustace’s “The Future in Mind” Garden.

And also the Celebrity Dream Garden inspired by Brendan Courtney.

We’ll share much more on those later in the week once we’ve had the chance to explore them fully, but they’re certainly high on our list already.

Garden Design by Caragh Nurseries

If you’re at Bloom this week and see a garden — or two — that you fall in love with and start wondering, how could I recreate something like this at home? That’s where we come in.

At Caragh Nurseries, we design, transform, and create gardens that feel personal, beautiful, and tailored to how you want to live outdoors. Whether you’re looking for a small terrace garden refresh or a full large-scale redesign, our team are here to help bring your ideas to life.

Our design consultations are now fully booked for June, with limited availability remaining in July, so if you’ve been thinking about starting your own garden project, now is the perfect time to secure your consultation.

For now though, we’re simply looking forward to the beginning of another wonderful Bloom week — early mornings, beautiful planting, familiar faces, fresh inspiration, and that unmistakable Bloom atmosphere that arrives in the Phoenix Park every June.

We can’t wait to bring you along with us.