Garden Show Ireland continues this weekend with 30,000 visitors expected through the gates of Antrim Castle Gardens over the three day spectacle.
The show opened on Friday with TV star and celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin hosting in blazing sunshine and today, Saturday, the weather is expected to be cooler and damp and on Sunday, drying up to a pleasant afternoon.
For garden lovers, the three day event is widely anticipated at dog-friendly Antrim Castle Gardens, the show offers a weekend of gardening expertise, ideas and inspiration.
Read More: How to explore everything Mid and East Antrim has to offer
For families, there are endless stalls and concessions where folk can enjoy from the Food NI Food Pavilion and watch chef-led food demonstrations and sample food from some of the country's leading artisan food producers.
And for dog lovers, the show has a special dog zone with dog experts and a dog show, in a safe space where everyone is welcome with plenty of treats and great ideas to get involved in.
Dogs are allowed on lead across the property and there are many paths and places for noses to explore. And the Castle Gardens have a bridge over the river which takes you down to the Lough Shore park for a longer stretch.
Garden Diarmuid Gavin officially opened the show on Friday and will also be involved in the forthcoming Platinum Jubilee celebrations, creating a permanent, bespoke installation within Antrim Castle Gardens entitled the ‘Clockwork Garden’.
The garden, similar in style to Diarmuid’s critically acclaimed ‘garden of pure imagination’ created at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2016, will be the first of its kind to have a permanent residency in any garden across the UK.
Diarmuid said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Garden Show Ireland and delighted that visitors to the show will be able to catch a glimpse of the Clockwork Garden built in real time. My inspiration for the garden comes from some of the UK’s most imaginative minds, resulting in an active, entertaining and playful space.
"Every 15 minutes the garden actually comes to life and engages in a short performance which certainly surprises spectators and creates a few smiles. It has been my dream to bring it home to where it belongs and Antrim Castle Gardens is that place.
"It's wonderful to have the opportunity to work alongside students from the College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprise at Greenmount in the physical building of this project. These young people are our next generation of horticulturalists, and their enthusiasm and hard work should be both applauded and nurtured."
The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Billy Webb, said: "Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has been hosting Garden Show Ireland since 2014 and we are very excited to, once again, welcome the event back to Antrim Castle Gardens for 2022.
"Our gardens are of the most unique and historically intact gardens in the UK and throughout Ireland, therefore the perfect space for Northern Ireland’s premier horticultural event. We are excited to see the Clockwork Garden in action, and its permanent residency in the gardens will be a wonderful tribute to Her Majesty The Queen in the year of her Platinum Jubilee.
"As a result of recent world events, individuals have become much more aware of their outdoor space and the need to create a sustainable environment that meets the needs of future generations.
"On arrival at the show you will actually be greeted by the residents of Scarecrow Avenue, all of whom have been created by our local primary schools using a combination of recycled or borrowed materials.
"Our schools are also being encouraged to create miniature gardens in anything from a bucket to an old boot, either of which can attract, feed or even reproduce your own version of a bird, bee, bug or butterfly."
Claire Faulkner, Event Director of Garden Show Ireland, added: "Since its inception in 2004, Garden Show Ireland has grown significantly, in both profile and attendance. With the shift towards holidaying at home and generally spending more time in our gardens and on home improvements, we have no doubt that this year’s event will be our biggest yet.
"It’s wonderful that after a difficult few years we are able to host a 3-day celebration of this calibre, made even more special with the talented Diarmuid Gavin opening the show! Visitors will be spoiled for choice, with green fingered experts on hand to guide them through all their gardening quandaries, whether that be the creation of a climate friendly garden or the addition of an organic vegetable patch to an outdoor space.
"With everything from a live jazz band and stilt walkers to crazy golf and dog shows in our dedicated Doggie Zone, Garden Show Ireland certainly has something for the entire family…including your pets."
Garden Show Ireland continues on Saturday April 30 and Sunday, May 1.
A courtesy shuttle bus will operate from the Enkalon and The Junction between 10.15am and 6.15pm each day. There will be a plant and produce creche available for visitors who want to store their garden purchases while they browse, and these purchases will be allowed on board the shuttle.
Tickets for Garden Show Ireland cost £10 and can be purchased online at gardenshowireland.com. Children under 16 go free.
