A mini heat wave is here, although rain is on its way to us, once again. The first day of June is not looking too good despite being the first day of the meteorological summer; it is what it is though. Who knows, the astronomical summer may bring the much desired sunshine. Fingers and toes crossed so that heat will be back again and we can have a few more warm days during the next couple of months. The change though is incredible as it still felt like autumn last week, and now we are enjoying the heat and hoping to break records for the highest temperature in May ever! It is amazing to see the great vibes around, everyone is happy, everything is brighter, and everywhere feels so welcoming. Except for finding it hard to sleep at night, I think I could do with two to three months of sunshine, couldn’t we all?
Another beautiful evening here in South West Wicklow, the sunshine is amazing, so powerful, so invigorating. Our courtyard looks like an oasis of colour, plenty of new blooms, lush green, water features working full time, bees and bumble bees buzzing away from flower to flower, we even have the garden parasols up, to minimise the heat on the plants. Lucky me, I had lunch al fresco earlier. It was such a nice treat to have the chance of relishing the sun rays on my skin while savouring a refreshing tomato salad. However, as much as I was enjoying it, I had to move to the shaded bench as it was too warm, what a nice complaint. At the weekend we even had breakfast outside, coffees and teas too. What a wonderful delight!
It would not be the same if I did not have my usual cupán tae, despite the warmth in the room. Chief Superintendent Smudge the cat is not next to me, nor at the window still, she is next door where it seems to be cooler for her. I do not think she is enjoying this lovely spell of good weather, probably too warm for her, and for me too! My threshold of temperature is somewhere between 23 and 25 degrees, anything beyond that is too much.Even though I come from a warmer country, heat and high temperatures have never been my cup of tea. As June is forecast to bring the rain and cooler days back, I shall endure these current (a bit too) warm days. Let’s get down to business..
As a tribute to the Bloom Festival, for various reasons, I have chosen this wonderful topic to lead my May blog post. The 2019 edition opened many doors for me, in a way I would have never expected. It awoke my passion for gardening back after being dormant for so many years, it nourished the seed of creativity which bloomed a few months later, it brought love into my life, a soulmate.
Bloom, easily stands out for gardening, plants, flowers, Irish produce, sustainability and more. It is celebrating its 20th edition this year, an incredible milestone considering it only started as a small gardening festival. It has become a trademark on its own, a date to add to the calendar, a must visit for those into the joys of gardens and plants. A super day out surrounded by stunning displays of colour, creative postcard and show gardens, a great selection of nurseries and plants suppliers to choose from, talks by professional gardeners providing pieces of advice and inspiring ideas, plenty of features to add to gardens, balconies, patios, courtyards. Simply walk around and immerse yourself in a world of plants, flowers, gardens, blooms and inspirational approaches. A soul haven for anyone who has a grá for the garden. A fantastic day out to wander around the food village, taking time to appreciate the variety of Irish products, from crisps, to strawberries, jams, sweet delicatessen, yogurts, biscuits, gins, crafted beers, whiskey and more. Why not treat yourself to a box of chocolates? The variety of food trucks, coffees & icecreams, and pastries is superb. I was listening to Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 on Thursday this week, just an hour before the doors of Bloom opening, and Áine Lawlor words stuck in my mind: “…the magic of Bloom… gardening is happiness…I don’t know how you couldn’t be any happier on a morning like this here…” I guess that words cannot express what Bloom represents, but it is such a unique experience that one may want to hold on to its captivating essence as long as possible!
Bloom, also stands out for crafts for me. Thanks to my partner’s dad, over the last six years I have had the opportunity to display my own crafts at his stall. A man in his mid eighties who keeps inspiring me to be creative, to work hard, to put myself out there. Having my creations at the table implies months and months of planning, weeks and weeks of crafting, days and days of making sure everything is ready. Evenings after work, weekends, days off, late evenings at the couch, any spare minute, to just crack on with my long list of things to get done. Nothing more satisfying than seeing the table display set up and ready in the morning of day one, nothing more rewarding than customers buying my pieces of art for themselves or as gifts for someone special, nothing more fulfilling than receiving nice compliments on my work. Nevertheless it is more than just selling my crafts, it is the interaction, the chats, the laughter with those who stop by, simple priceless. And then with the blink of an eye, it is all over and you find yourself packing away, with a great feeling of satisfaction.
Last but not least, Bloom, surprisingly stands out for where I met my partner. Seven years ago, as as I was having a coffee at the Phoenix Park Café, unexpectedly unexpected, he asked me if the chair next to mine was free, we talked about plants and bláthanna, I shared a piece of my apple tart with him, we admired the show gardens together and took load of pictures, we wandered through the stalls and displays while chatting away about life, we laughed and laughed as we shared our struggles. And magically our souls intertwined, our paths became one, our future started. Bloom turned into the beginning of an amazing journey together, of an exciting adventure through life, of an incredible path taken. Sometimes that one moment redefines our lifetime…
Jay Cee Moon ©
Jaycee Moon 