Always a great weekend, we have 30 tickets to give away to Bloom in the Park, 15 sets of two, so you and a friend can enjoy the event. Hard to believe that this is the 13th year that Bord Bia will take over the Phoenix Park and it will run from 30 May to 3 June 2019.

The celebrated floral, food and family festival, which attracted 120,000 visitors last year, will feature 22 show gardens, 14 postcard gardens, over 100 Irish food and drink producers, 25 plant nurseries, 25 live cookery demonstrations with some of Ireland’s best-known chefs and some 100 retailers, all within a 70-acre site.

From bee-friendly gardens to Ireland’s first gin garden; water conservation to human rights issues; and health and wellness to the damage of plastics pollution in our oceans, Bloom by Bord Bia once again highlights its cultural relevance and the importance of horticulture in Ireland.

Show Gardens

At the heart of Bord Bia’s Bloom festival will be 22 stunning show gardens which will celebrate the skill and creativity of Ireland’s garden designers, landscapers and horticulturists. These magnificent spaces have also become an important platform to communicate many of the cultural, economic and social issues of the day.

Sophie Bracken from Lusk and Lauren Keane from Leopardstown getting set for Bloom 2019.\ Colm Mahady / Fennells

Gardens with an important call to environmental action include ‘Bee Positive’, a pollinator-friendly concept garden designed by Fingal County Council and Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown (ITB); ‘Aqua Marine’ an under-water garden featuring marine flora and fauna sponsored by Bord Iascaigh Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and the E3 (Environment, Engineering and Emerging technologies) garden by TrinityHaus Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering which will incorporate the treatment of waste water to be re-used for gardening, food production and farming.

Alongside the spectacular show gardens, Bloom is also a hub for practical gardening tips and advice. A new feature this year is The Irish Garden magazine Bloom Plant Clinic which will offer the collective horticultural brains of more than 20 trained, experienced horticulturists and gardeners to deal with gardening queries.

How to win

To win, answer this question: Bloom takes place in the Phoenix Park. Who is the famous resident of the park?

Send your answer, along with your name, address and telephone number to Bloom Competition, Irish Country Living, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12 or enter on www.farmersjournal.ie/competitions. Closing date for entries is 27 May.