Construction of Fingal’s Bloom in The Park 2018 garden began this week.
Construction of Fingal’s Bloom in The Park 2018 garden began this week. The title for this year’s entry is ‘The Greener Way for Fingal’ and is the result of a partnership between Fingal County Council, The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) and the Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB).
The theme of this year’s garden highlights the potential for the development of multi-functional open spaces to allow for greater sustainability across Fingal.
Commenting on the theme, Fingal County Council’s Assistant Parks Superintendent Mark Finnegan said: “‘The Greener Way for Fingal’ aims to illustrate how our parks and open spaces can be developed to improve sustainability as well as being used for leisure by communities. Open spaces no longer have a single purpose as recreational areas but must also function as natural play areas, wildlife habitats, pedestrian or cycle routes and sustainable urban drainage systems.”
‘The Greener Way for Fingal’ was designed by Landscape Designer Jane Corkery while the planting was carried out by ITB students of Horticulture under the direction of their lecturers. The participants of the Local Training Initiative managed by the DDLETB based in Bremore Castle, Balbriggan have constructed all the hard landscape features including the gabion walls, stepping stones, swale and walkway using skills they have acquired as part of their course.
This is the third year that Fingal, ITB and DDLETB have worked together to create a garden for the Bloom in the Park festival. Commenting of the partnership, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid said: “I am delighted to see the partnership between Fingal, ITB and the students at DDLETB continuing this year. Not only is it a chance to highlight the possibilities for Fingal’s open spaces but it allows us to benefit from each other’s skills and experience through collaboration.”
‘The Greener Way for Fingal’ will include a model cycleway and a swale which is used for water drainage as well as wild flower turf to demonstrate the multifunctional roles that open spaces can play.
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mary McCamley said: “I look forward to seeing the completed garden at this year’s Bloom event. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate our county’s natural beauty and community spaces while highlighting the importance of leading sustainable lives which will hugely benefit the well-being of Fingal’s environment and its population.”
Bloom in the Park 2018 takes place in the Phoenix Park from May 31- June 4. Tickets and further information are available here: http://bloominthepark.com/visit/ticket-information/