Heliamphora heterodoxa Sun Pitcher by Jane Stark
Silver-gilt award at Bloom 2015.
Photo © Bernard van Giessen

Bloom In the Park is Ireland’s largest horticultural and food festival. For five days over the June bank holiday weekend, a portion of Dublin’s Phoenix Park is turned into a festive wonderland of gardens, floral displays, artisan food, entertainment and, for the last three years, the very best in Irish botanical and floral art. The 2015 Bloom Floral and Botanical Art Exhibition featured a total of 53 adjudicated paintings. That 21 of these paintings received awards was a testament to the high standard of the work in the exhibition.

The medal winners were as follows:

Category: BOTANICAL ART

Best in Show
Siobhan M Larkin – Iris

Gold Medals
Siobhan M Larkin – Iris
Shevaun Doherty – Phoenix dactylifera var. khasab Date palm
Nayana Sandur – Musa acuminata Banana

Silver Gilt Medals
Holly Somerville – Papaver rhoeas Field poppy
Jane Stark – Heliamphora heterodoxa Sun pitcher

Silver Medals
Shevaun Doherty – Aesculus hippocastanum triptych
Nayana Sandur – Malus cultivar Red Apple
Holly Somerville – Hippeastrum cultivar Amaryllis
Holly Somerville – Tulipa gesneriana Didier’s tulip
Patricia Jorgenson – Romneya coulteri Californian tree poppy
Siobhan M Larkin – Larix decidua (cones)
Lynn Stringer – Chrysanthemum ‘Salmon Shoesmith

Bronze Medals
Yanny Petters – Malus Apple
June Wright – Aesculus hippocastanum Horse-chestnut

Category – FLORAL ART

Best in Show
Yanny Petters – Meadow Plantain speedwell

Gold Medals
Yanny Petters – Meadow Plantain speedwell
Nayana Sandur – Allium aflatunese
Lynn Stringer – Primula vulgaris

Silver Gilt Medals
Anne McLeod – Delphiniums
Lynn Stringer – Narcissus ‘Cheerfulness’ Narcissi

Silver Medals
Nicola Lynch Morrin – Iris

Bronze Medals
Sue van Coppenhagen – Hellebores

I felt very honoured to be included amongst the award winners, receiving a silver-gilt for my Heliamphora heterodoxa, a sun pitcher from the Guiana Highlands of South America, belonging to the carnivorous plant family Sarraceniaceae. Whilst working on this painting, I became fascinated by carnivorous plants, and I look forward to painting more of them.