While much of the Irish population was either entrenched in refreshingly smoke free bars or braving the heaving masses in an attempt to capture a glimpse of the wonder that is the modern St. Patrick’s parade; the more informed punter escaped Dublin’s city centre to attend this year’s Spring House and Garden Show.

The show, which has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2002, saw upwards of 42,000 attendees over the four-day event. While only in its third year, the show has established itself as the doorway to a new season and an early foothold for designers wishing to exploit the wave of horticultural interest that is sweeping the country.

The high standard of design entries into this years show was a reflection of the growing talent emerging from the abundance of training centres shooting up around the country. Returning to the show after a year’s sabbatical were Ian Kennedy and Ciaran Byrne, their entry, ‘Outer Space’ exploited the use of a sunken play space surrounded with curvilinear deck and vertical metal structures to create a dynamic, low maintenance garden.

Gerry O’Keeffe, having exhibited at last year’s show, returned with an equally bold garden entitled ‘Awakening’. Influenced by the Chinese art of framing the landscape, the garden was an escape, a space for restful contemplation; contained, controlled and executed in simplistic natural materials reflective of Gerry’s passion for wood sculpting. As with all show gardens, Gerry struggled to retain his designed restful feel as plagues of unruly kids high on Pick and Mix and sugared water tried to use his pacifying water feature as a paddling pool!

Chelsea Silver Flora winner Paul Martin decided to dip into this year’s show with an excellent garden created for the Craft Council of Ireland. The garden, a symmetrical balance of interior and exterior living spaces, was a masterclass in satisfying a diverse range of client demands. While primarily designed to exhibit works created by Irish artists, the novel innovation of a garden bedroom drew many viewers to speculate on the possibilities for their own outdoor space.

The public’s favourite garden and the deserving winner of the best in show was ‘Copper Curves’. The garden, created by Emily O’Byrne, was a placating composition of soft, inviting lines and materials inspired by the divine proportions of nature. The highlight of the space was the use of a recessed copper strip, inlaid expertly into Indian sandstone flags, which were in turn accented through small copper details and balanced with strong architectural planting.

While there was certainly a variety of garden style displayed at this year’s show the abundance of curvilinear line and pacifying materials used is undoubtedly a reaction to Ireland’s rapid economic growth. While the paving of the ‘Emerald Isle’ is seen as a negative to some it has helped to create a design industry that was non existent ten years ago.