Visitors to the 2013 Canada Blooms Show, taking place 15 – 24 March, will experience the ‘magic of Spring’ in Ireland when they enter
Created by Anna Van Maris of Toronto’s ParkLane Nurseries, the SPRING GATHERING GARDEN is a lush green landscape designed to bring the beauty of Ireland to life, inspired by The Gathering Ireland 2013 – a year-long celebration of all things Irish taking place in Ireland with over 3,000 festivals and events happening nationwide.
Within The Gathering Garden you can experience the splendor of Ireland’s natural landscape as it incorporates elements of the Emerald Isle’s rich culture and history. Features of The Gathering Garden include archaeological, cultural and geological elements such as the Newgrange Passage Tombs, The Giants Causeway, Peatlands in Offaly, Gardens at Blarney Castle, Standing Stones, Dolmens and Dublin’s famous cobble streets. The ParkLane Nurseries team will construct an ancient burial chamber; geological landforms created by volcanic eruptions, and emulate the misty green hills of Ireland within its garden highlights.
Speaking about the Spring Gathering Garden, Jayne Shackleford, Manager Tourism Ireland Canada said: “The Gathering is Ireland’s invitation to the world to come home and enjoy Ireland’s colorful history, culture and people in 2013. We are delighted extend Ireland’s famous ‘céad mile fáilte’ to visitors of The Gathering Garden, and we hope to bring a touch of Irish magic to Canada Blooms so Canadians can enjoy a flavor of the fantastic experiences that await them on a visit to Ireland this year.”
Expect more surprises at Canada Blooms on Sunday, March 17 as Tourism Ireland presents St Patrick’s Day festivities at this year’s event. Audiences will be treated to a thrilling performance from Irish dance troupe ‘Brogue’ in addition to enjoying Irish themed fun and entertainment in The Spring Gathering Garden throughout the day. The first 1,000 visitors to Canada Blooms will also receive a special ‘Jump Into Ireland’ gift bag.
Guests to the Spring Gathering Garden include celebrity gardener Trevor Edwards who travels from Northern Ireland to share his green finger tips with Canadian gardening enthusiasts. Trevor will be guest speaker on the Canada Blooms main stage presenting his talk “Gardening in Ireland with hints, tips, advice and a bit of Craic” on Friday, March 15.
Partners from the island of Ireland in attendance at Canada Blooms also include representatives from B+B Ireland, South East Ireland and The National Trust.
And as if all this wasn’t enough, visitors to Spring Gathering Garden can also enter a competition to win a trip for two to Ireland, courtesy of Royal Irish Tours, online entry at www.ireland.com/gatheringgarden (opens March 15). Glass blown fairies will be hidden within the garden for visitors to find and winners will receive exclusive prizes from Ancestry.ca.
