Muireann Kelly (5) enjoys the Bloom Festival in the Phoenix Park.
Gold medal at Bloom for design inspired by theme of independent women
‘TAKE a picture of us,” instructed the two mischievous women standing in front of the ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ garden.
“We’re going to tell our husbands that we’re in Greece and that we’ve left them,” they joked.
Those hapless men may well have been fooled by garden designer Tunde Szentesi’s magnificent sun-soaked terrace on which a little table was already laid with inviting wine glasses while Abba music played in the background – all set for a lovely girls’ evening.
And it had all the perfect props that made it a dead ringer for some quiet little town in Kalokairi: a 450-year-old stout Olive tree, that whitewash set off by a Mediterranean shade of blue, those red geraniums.
But what if the weather had not played ball?
“It wouldn’t matter,” shrugged Tunde with a smile, adding: “It’s also perfect in the rain.”
Originally from Debrecen in Hungary, Tunde said she was particularly inspired by the ‘Mamma Mia!’ theme because the main character in the movie changed her life as Tunde herself had when she moved to Ireland 12 years ago and trained as a garden designer. “Now I’m living the life that I love in the country that I love,” she declared.
“That independent woman was the main inspiration,” Tunde added.
The garden sets the scene for visitors to get ready to sing, dance and fall in love in advance of Universal Picture’s release of ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ in cinemas across Ireland next month.
The garden captures the exotic location of Kalokairi with its beautiful landscape and the famous Hotel Bella Donna.
But as far as Tunde is concerned, this is a garden that would work just as well here in Ireland.
“All the plants grow here,” she said, before adding: “Except for the bougainvillea.”
Meanwhile, all the stone used by Robert Moore of Garden Architecture for the terrace is Donegal limestsone, while Grange Growers supplied the stunning old Olive tree.
As for the music, Tunde said Abba have always been part of her life and she loved to sing their songs back in Debrecen when she was in a choir.
There is a possibility that the garden will go on to have a second life in Cloughjordan House where wedding couples might be able to pose
for photographs and flash forward mentally to their honeymoon.
On day two of the Bloom festival, there was a smattering of rain – though not enough to deter the crowds of eager garden fans, keen to garner inspiration.
There was much interest in a garden for those suffering from dementia, by designer Clive Jones of Newton Saunders.
With beautifully scented nostalgic planting of violas, rosemary and hydrangeas, the winding path featured thoughtful handrails and a wooden-roofed seated area.
The garden, which received a bronze medal at Bloom and which is sponsored by Dementia: Understand Together Campaign, will go on to be installed at a public park in Arklow, Co Wicklow.
“Most of the stuff we do is for care homes,” explained Clive, saying he had received many tips from staff on the practicalities needed in such a garden.
“It’s relaxing and therapeutic – not just for those with dementia but for everyone,” he said.
With Bloom created by Bord Bia, there was just as much focus on the food side of things.
And in the Bord Bia tent, many exciting new products were to be sampled.
Chocolate chip and honeycomb sausages were one intriguing example, at the Barry John counter.
Sausage-maker Barry Crowe from Cavan town won his first award for making sausages at the age of 13 at his parents’ butcher shop, and after that he was hooked.
Now he makes 36 different flavours, including chip shop curry, gooseberry jam and country relish.
Not only that but he’s just made the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ for the most link sausages made in a minute.
“Last time the record was 62, I’ve got it to 78, all hand-tied,” he explained proudly.