The Floral Marquee is one of the first stops for many visitors when they arrive at Bloom. With over 30 different nurseries under one roof it is a key highlight for plant lovers and garden enthusiasts when they visit. Past visitors to Bloom will notice many key features have returned again this year such as the fuchsia wall just inside the main door and the primula pyramid, created by Peninsula Primulas, in the centre of the room. Both are firm favourites with visitors and are offering new plant arrivals for 2014 that visitors can add to their collections. The world of culinary plants is represented within the marquee again this year with fantastic displays of edible herbs from a number of nurseries. Not only are the staple herbs on sale but visitors can avail of a wide range of exotic and unusual herbs to grow and use at home.
As was the trend at Chelsea, Foxgloves are hotly piped to be a firm favourite with visitors to Bloom this year, with many nurseries showcasing the plant in a spectrum of colours. Lupins are also receiving a starring role not only on the tables within the floral marquee but within the show gardens themselves at Bloom. It is not just standard lupins that are on show this year, there has been a distinct move towards deeper and richer coloured varieties. Varieties such Lupin ‘Manhatten Lights’ are believed by nursery owners will prove popular with visitors.
Peonies too are proving as popular this year as in previous years with nursery owners. In particular hybrids such as Paeonia ‘Buckeye Belle’, with its rich crimson semi-double flowers, are marked to be highly sought after by visitors in 2014.
As well boasting a wide collection of firm gardener favourites that make up the backbone of many Irish gardens, the Floral Marquee has a number of exciting and new plants on offer this year. Within these new plant arrivals lies Ireland’s excellence in plant breeding and propagation.
For gardeners looking to attract wildlife into their garden, particularly bees, Salvia ‘Madeline’ is one that Boyne Garden Centre believes visitors should look out for. It’s upright and bushy habit; with long spikes of flowers that are bright violet blue with a contrasting white lip make it ideal for sunny borders or in containers.
A unique plant to Bloom for 2014 is brought by Jan Hoogendoorn from The Netherlands. Eichhornia crassipes or water hyacinth is a free-floating aquatic plant which Jan says works equally as good as an aquatic garden plant, to bridge the gap between winter and the arrival of water lilies as it does, as it does inside the home in floral displays.
For serious gardeners and ones looking to challenge themselves with their plant purchases this year the Rare Plants Ireland stand is a must visit. The stand offers a range of plants which will test the horticultural knowledge and skills of visitors. From the Foxglove tree, which takes on average 18 years to flower, to the testing Himalayan blue poppy there is a wide selection of unusual and different plants to explore this year.
