Last month's Bloom extravaganza, a gardening show with show gardens, floral displays and all manner of horticulture accoutrements in The Phoenix Park, attracted over 50,000 visitors, despite the frequent deluges over the weekend. Organisers Bord Bia may have anticipated these numbers, but it's still worth noting that they represent a much higher per capita turnout than the world-class RHS Chelsea Flower Show in Britain. The fact that exhibitors at Bloom's Nursery and Floral Pavilion found themselves making round trips by night to replenish their stock and keep up with buyer demand shows that we've really taken this gardening hobby to heart.

Statistics show that Ireland's horticulture sector has grown by 71% in the past four years.

With all this green energy flowing so abundantly Bord Bia seemed to cash in on the zeitgeist with admirable foresight. Hot on Bloom's tail comes The International Garden Festival, another inaugural event hoping to attract an equally enthusiastic garden party.

Running from 29 June to 23 September in Emo Court, Co Laois, the festival features 15 contemporary gardens, all of which will be fully maintained for the duration of the festival so that returning visitors can see how they mature and evolve through the season. Unlike Bloom's show gardens, these festival creations will have paths leading through them so visitors can take the time to walk through and explore them.

Among the garden designers taking part are Irish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Australian and American talents. Inspired by the success of shows at Chaumont-sur-Loire in France and Westonbirt in the UK, the International Garden Festival hopes to attract daytrippers, gardeners and international visitors. And with beauty spots like Gash Gardens, Heywood Gardens, Castle Durrow, Emo Court and The Sensory Gardens also open for visitors too, it seems the green-fingered among us should be plotting a trip to the midlands before the summer is out.

See www. igf. ie for further details.