Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland?

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:
Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland


If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:
On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

Well, for a starters, here's the link;
http://www.internationalgardenfestival.com/home.html

The day I went was miserable (weather wise).
I thought it would be along the lines of something I saw elsewhere
once, which took a whole day to get around.
Admiteddly, to stroll around the general properties of the site
concerned would probably take that long, but the err... "festival"
site itself... an hour is more than enough.

It costs 13 euro (adult price) to get in.
So, you'll be wondering if that's worth it.
Excluding the opportunity to explore a vast parkland ordinarily (I
think) no open to the public, I'd say the garden festival bit is not
worth looking at, let alone pay to get into.

One woman passed us and simply uttered the exclaimation "Dreadful!"
I can't disagree with her, though found that a bit strong. Yes, there
was evidence of lack of care of the exhibits (weeds, rubbish, poor
grass cutting ... if any)

oops, gotta go, will gaet back later (I hope0

On Aug 11, 11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

Well, for a starters, here's the link;http://www.internationalgardenfestival.com/home.html

The day I went was miserable (weather wise).
I thought it would be along the lines of something I saw elsewhere
once, which took a whole day to get around.
Admiteddly, to stroll around the general properties of the site
concerned would probably take that long, but the err... "festival"
site itself... an hour is more than enough.

It costs 13 euro (adult price) to get in.
So, you'll be wondering if that's worth it.
Excluding the opportunity to explore a vast parkland ordinarily (I
think) no open to the public, I'd say the garden festival bit is not
worth looking at, let alone pay to get into.

One woman passed us and simply uttered the exclaimation "Dreadful!"
I can't disagree with her, though found that a bit strong. Yes, there
was evidence of lack of care of the exhibits (weeds, rubbish, poor
grass cutting ... if any)

oops, gotta go, will gaet back later (I hope0

Ah, yes, the state of the place.

Weeds, terrible maintenance, dead plants and so on.
On the dead plants (including dead moss) I noticed quite a few
"gardens" "growing" the same stuff, e.g. carpinus hedging, golden hop
and moss, much of it left rotting.)

Actually, some of the failures provide what might have been an
unintentional advantage.
So often, one sees a garden in a garden show, and a reasonably wary
eye can see that its OK for the moment... IE, it's design is anti-
maintenance. Strictly short, short term and wholly impractical.

Some of the gardens of this show belong to that category and were it
not for the somewhat painful waste of time going there, it would be
amusing to see how pretentious designs, with no thought for after
care, manage to come undone in such a short time, (-:

The worst example being a garden, the name of which I forget, but I
can see how the initial concept might have looked promising.
It was a sort of skeletal computer graphics model of a mound,
translated into reality , i.e. wooden battens were positioned to
imitate such a computer generated model. There was grass and other
stuff in between.

Speaking of design... there seems to be a general trend to explore the
origins/ roots/ ancestry of (garden) creativity and the link between
mankind and nature but without any organisers *statement to that
effect....and without any real nod to history. Along with no real nod
to nature, natural evolution, geology... I could go one, though in
fairness, if one were to create an opera around that theme, it might
also omit such reference. Probably why I hate opera.

*Statement, merely scattering the 15 "gardens"
(OK, one was not great, but clever and one was really, really good and
would compete with anything in UK shows)
within a field of oats for that primitive stone-age look (inaccurate
too) and lots of hop, albeit the golden variety, to suggest booze
making hobbies... if there's such a thing as oats based booze, is not,
IMO what amounts to a joined-up-writing sort of statement.

Maybe they should have gone for barley

In that sense there was no real honesty about the show or, maybe a
simple lack of communication between the "Garden Festival" and it's
audience

Many of the only 15 gardens tried to explore this area. The computer
model mentioned above might also have been trying to do so by way of a
"garden" which emcompassed the beginnings of something (the skeletal
lines), with the added dimension of being bang up to date by means of
the 'beginnings' being computer generated. Geddit!

Another actually mentioned the link between whether nature is of/
within man or vice versa. I can't remember how he put it. His effort
to to explore that was a number of what looked like very high, wide
and thin stone head-stones (graveyard), set out like soldiers rather
than some sort of stone-henge feel. There was one side polished, the
other sawn and the audience being invited to comment on the sawn side.
The result.... graffitii all over (both sides).

Ah, I've just that, what with that exhibit, the general decay of the
state of the "Garden Festival", maybe the implied theme was not about
origins of creation, creativity and it's links to mankind. maybe the
whole thing was just about death and decay... and the end of
creativity and the end of mankind.

Good look to you if you go. I'd like to apologise in advance if your
disappointment was of result of my inadvertently and wholly
unintentionally having said something that might have accidentally
created the impression it was interesting.

That said, the best "garden" of all, other than the really good one
mentioned, was hanging flags. Lots and lots of large flags hanging
down almost to the ground and creating a sort of maze. There were only
3 plants in the centre. It was fun, unexpectedly looked good and
physically felt good.

"aquachimp" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 11, 11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com... On Aug 11, 11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

"aquachimp" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.


The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin

On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

ups.com...





On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;
http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...033-qqqx=1.asp

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;

On Aug 12, 4:15 pm, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:





"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...+STORY-qqqs=pr...

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Holey Saint Imelda; it sounds like a cross between Versailles and all
of Barcelona but done in plants. If it were a matter of a modest
entrance fee and some show gardens, that would be quite nice and I
could live with that very easily. I hate the big entrance fee and 40
acres of shite that these events usually entail. Ohhh what a grumpy
oulfella I have become.

Des

On Aug 12, 7:18 pm, Des Higgins wrote:
On Aug 12, 4:15 pm, aquachimp
wrote:



On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:

"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...+STORY-qqqs=pr...

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Holey Saint Imelda; it sounds like a cross between Versailles and all
of Barcelona but done in plants. If it were a matter of a modest
entrance fee and some show gardens, that would be quite nice and I
could live with that very easily. I hate the big entrance fee and 40
acres of shite that these events usually entail. Ohhh what a grumpy
oulfella I have become.

Des

i loved the comment " Somewhere down the country " for the rare plants
show! in an earlier reply. If anyone konws where this is likely to
occur i for one as a Kerry dweller would love to go , hell i'd go to
the opening of an envelope, by the way don't bother withthe Tralee
show , i ve seen more content a Gardeners world phone in
competition . As for themed show gardens come the revolution i voting
to have Dermot Galvin shot

On Aug 12, 8:18 pm, Des Higgins wrote:
On Aug 12, 4:15 pm, aquachimp
wrote:





On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:

"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...+STORY-qqqs=pr...

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Holey Saint Imelda; it sounds like a cross between Versailles and all
of Barcelona but done in plants. If it were a matter of a modest
entrance fee and some show gardens, that would be quite nice and I
could live with that very easily. I hate the big entrance fee and 40
acres of shite that these events usually entail. Ohhh what a grumpy
oulfella I have become.

Des- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What I've noticed is that in just about every mention I've seen of
that "International Garden festival", bar one, it has been billed as
Ireland's 1st International garden festival.... but... errrr... last
year there was the one Paddyenglish mentioned; the Mallow
International Garden Festival.
It hadn't occurred to me to look up any reviews before going to the
trouble of arranging our trip so that rather than take an
interconnecting flight to Cork (our intended destination from Belgium,
we'd get a car at Dublin airport, go to the show and then drive to
Cork. Equally, that meant having to return to Dublin to depart and
that in itself entailed having to stay overnight at a hotel to ensure
our time keeping.
Overall, a shade more than the 13 euro each entrance fee, so with
hindsight, a bit silly not to have asked earlier, though equally,
gawd, but I'm glad I hadn't read that review to wet the appetite as it
were.
I have since dug up one other. (lost the link) it was a Daily
Telegraph write-up on it and the only write-up to refer to it as the
International Conceptual Garden Festival. It explained what that meant
too. A good piece for those interested in such things.

Another thing, if there were 65 design entrants and only 15 chosen...
just how bad were the rest?

On Aug 13, 5:50 pm, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 12, 8:18 pm, Des Higgins wrote:





On Aug 12, 4:15 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:

"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...+STORY-qqqs=pr...

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Holey Saint Imelda; it sounds like a cross between Versailles and all
of Barcelona but done in plants. If it were a matter of a modest
entrance fee and some show gardens, that would be quite nice and I
could live with that very easily. I hate the big entrance fee and 40
acres of shite that these events usually entail. Ohhh what a grumpy
oulfella I have become.

Des- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What I've noticed is that in just about every mention I've seen of
that "International Garden festival", bar one, it has been billed as
Ireland's 1st International garden festival.... but... errrr... last
year there was the one Paddyenglish mentioned; the Mallow
International Garden Festival.
It hadn't occurred to me to look up any reviews before going to the
trouble of arranging our trip so that rather than take an
interconnecting flight to Cork (our intended destination from Belgium,
we'd get a car at Dublin airport, go to the show and then drive to
Cork. Equally, that meant having to return to Dublin to depart and
that in itself entailed having to stay overnight at a hotel to ensure
our time keeping.
Overall, a shade more than the 13 euro each entrance fee, so with
hindsight, a bit silly not to have asked earlier, though equally,
gawd, but I'm glad I hadn't read that review to wet the appetite as it
were.
I have since dug up one other. (lost the link) it was a Daily
Telegraph write-up on it and the only write-up to refer to it as the
International Conceptual Garden Festival. It explained what that meant
too. A good piece for those interested in such things.

Another thing, if there were 65 design entrants and only 15 chosen...
just how bad were the rest?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Found it;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening...val-emo127.xml

Still, for the record... didn't mallow have the real first
International Garden Festival in Ireland?

On Aug 13, 5:07 pm, paddyenglishman wrote:
On Aug 12, 7:18 pm, Des Higgins wrote:





On Aug 12, 4:15 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:

"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...+STORY-qqqs=pr...

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Holey Saint Imelda; it sounds like a cross between Versailles and all
of Barcelona but done in plants. If it were a matter of a modest
entrance fee and some show gardens, that would be quite nice and I
could live with that very easily. I hate the big entrance fee and 40
acres of shite that these events usually entail. Ohhh what a grumpy
oulfella I have become.

Des

i loved the comment " Somewhere down the country " for the rare plants
show! in an earlier reply. If anyone konws where this is likely to
occur i for one as a Kerry dweller would love to go , hell i'd go to
the opening of an envelope, by the way don't bother withthe Tralee
show , i ve seen more content a Gardeners world phone in
competition . As for themed show gardens come the revolution i voting
to have Dermot Galvin shot- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't know what option are available to you to be able to do a
search on garden fare/show only within Ireland, but what I've done is
go to the yahoo search engine page http://uk.search.yahoo.com/
and having clicked on O in Ireland option wrote in garden show and if
you do likewise you might find something of interest to you.

I then added ie to that search and came up with
http://www.garden.ie/Pages/plant-dir...tml?oid=296932

I'm in Belgium, so am most unlikely to be attending anything you might
find, but would still be interested in seeing if you find something
and if via the Internet, how?

On 13 Aug, 17:22, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 13, 5:07 pm, paddyenglishman wrote:



On Aug 12, 7:18 pm, Des Higgins wrote:

On Aug 12, 4:15 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

On Aug 12, 12:41 pm, "Des Higgins" wrote:

"aquachimp" wrote in message

oups.com...

On Aug 12, 11:58 am, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:
"aquachimp" wrote in message

groups.com... On Aug 11,
11:39 am, aquachimp
wrote:
On Aug 11, 10:02 am, paddyenglishman
wrote:

On Aug 9, 2:51 pm, aquachimp
wrote:

Anyone visited the curiously named "International Garden
Festival"
near Portlaoise, Ireland

If you go let us know if its any good. precious few garden shows
i
get to hear about over here. mallow was ok

snip lots of less than good comments!
Just a thank you to those in the thread who have been to this, for
several
years we have received much glossy and very expensive stuff from them to
go
and exhibit there, it seemed very expensive to take part and research
showed
the money was from Europe not the result of a successful show, so we
declined, but you always wonder if you got it wrong - seems not :~)

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwallhttp://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

Did I mention the Tents.
Now when I say "tent", think over-sized airy boy scout appeal. Not a
lot going on there. Some bric-a-brac ...low quality rubbish, some
dreadfully amateurishly produced 'plants for sale'
Oh, and for a long term exhibit... did I mention the smell from the
porteloos just behind said tents.

The last time I went to one of those "garden festivals" here in Ireland, I
swore never ever ever to go to one again.
It was expensive shite.
YOu pay an exhorbitant entrance fee to have tacky bric a brac advertised at
you with a few flowers thrown in.
There used to be one enormous one every uear in the RDS in Dublin which did
admittedly have some (a handful of) good plant stalls but, again you pay a
big entrance fee and 90% of the stuff is advertising for e.g. kitchens or
double glazing. It was a high class version of the dire rural ones but
still not really worth going back to.
The single best one by far that I did go to was the annual "rare plants"
fair which is usually in some obscure place down the country but one year
was in Farmleigh Estate in Dublin and there were huge crowds which was
off-putting but it was completely free and 80% of the stalls were nurseries
selling plants and there were lots and lots of them. That was great fun and
the nurseries seemed to sell everything they had. If you ever get tempted
to go to one, it is worth it and most of the exhibitors actually deal with
real plants and like them.

Des in Dublin- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, so far it looks like no one here has being there.
But, if you'd like a laugh, compare my review with this one;http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/st...+STORY-qqqs=pr...

For me it provides a good memory reference. I was at the time of
visiting so unimpressed I didn't bother taking a single photo. My wife
took them instead.. but just 2.
The not so great but clever garden was the flower and roll and yes,
kids loved it.
Something else his review reminds me is the good quality of
construction (paths, walkthroughs, bridges etc) built to accommodate
and cope with throngs visitors.
UK shows don't seem to be able to provide that.
He says don't expect the "staple fare of most garden shows, a
combination of cottage gardens and chic outdoor rooms", yet the only I
referred to as a garden fit to compete in such staple fares was his
own favourite concept was The Garden That Time Forgot.
The Frog's Dream was funny, but only because a French man designed it.

Interesting to have finally tracked down that there was an actual
theme; roots - gardens that evoke a sense of belonging
Hilarious that the garden he suggests would be ideal for an apartment
block was the most vandalised.

As for the "masterstroke" to have the "fifteen show gardens sit in a
sea of shimmering oat fields."
Ludicrous more like it.
Isn't writing a wonderful thing.
Wonder how much they paid him? (-;- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Holey Saint Imelda; it sounds like a cross between Versailles and all
of Barcelona but done in plants. If it were a matter of a modest
entrance fee and some show gardens, that would be quite nice and I
could live with that very easily. I hate the big entrance fee and 40
acres of shite that these events usually entail. Ohhh what a grumpy
oulfella I have become.

Des

i loved the comment " Somewhere down the country " for the rare plants
show! in an earlier reply. If anyone konws where this is likely to
occur i for one as a Kerry dweller would love to go , hell i'd go to
the opening of an envelope, by the way don't bother withthe Tralee
show , i ve seen more content a Gardeners world phone in
competition . As for themed show gardens come the revolution i voting
to have Dermot Galvin shot- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't know what option are available to you to be able to do a
search on garden fare/show only within Ireland, but what I've done is
go to the yahoo search engine pagehttp://uk.search.yahoo.com/
and having clicked on O in Ireland option wrote in garden show and if
you do likewise you might find something of interest to you.

I then added ie to that search and came up withhttp://www.garden.ie/Pages/plant-directory/show.html?oid=296932

I'm in Belgium, so am most unlikely to be attending anything you might
find, but would still be interested in seeing if you find something
and if via the Internet, how?

We went to Mallow this year for the first time ,The garden show that
is , for us it was good in that there were a few differant nurseries
attending with unusual plants or should i say unusual to us or our
local garden centres .The show was not as big as i had hoped
for.There were approx 20 different gardens set up , the usual
good ,the bad and the ugly
I was a little disappointed in the shows content on the day we went ,
but i have growen used to not expecting things on the scale of English
shows .As beginners in trying to set out a garden other than just a
veg plot we found it interesting but i have to say i detest the
stainless steel water feature side that is all too common these days.
If i want to view art i will go and visit the Uffizi again.This is
just my personal taste mind you , Its ironic that now the option of
going to see Southport Flower show every year is firmly closed for
me , i now miss the idea of it .As a child i detested it.
I found this site
http://www.discoverireland.ie/result...&CountyID=879&


and this gives a few other shows.I should check it more often .Maybe i
will look into a trip to Holland again and visit Keukenhof again ,
it would probably be more cost effective for us .