My planned radiotherapy got pushed out two weeks as my lungs had to be re-mapped. I’m telling you this because it was unsettling. It’s good to know for anyone that might find themselves in the same situation.

I was told that the tumour in my right lung had moved a bit. I couldn’t have treatment on the first day appointed. Apparently, this can happen. So, I needed to take a chill pill and keep busy. As it happened it was Bloom weekend. We had lots on so I couldn’t go until the Monday.

Dublin was busy, noisy and alive. I came up the evening before so that I could be in the Phoenix Park early to see the show gardens before the crowd arrived.

I stood in front of Gary Kirwan’s Rainbow Brick Balcony Garden, a tribute to the makers of iconic Lego and a gold medal winner. The Lego flowers were true to size. I wanted Ricky, my grandson beside me. He’d love it. You can now get bouquets of flowers from the adult Lego range. This splash of colour might suit people who have no time to garden.

Gravitating towards our farming connections, I crossed to the Kerrygold garden, a gold medal winner, designed by Ailish Drake and Conor Hourigan. Viewers were met by two smiling girls, Aisling and Ciara. They had a frame for photographs and I stood to attention. It started the conversation about the wall of gold representing our golden butter and the wild and sustainable planting. A fine healthy group of nettles poked their heads up proudly. I shuddered. “At least put them in a pot to curtail them,” I suggested.

I wanted Ricky, my grandson beside me. He’d love it. You can now get bouquets of flowers from the adult Lego range

Many of our wild plants, such as foxgloves, are very beautiful but can be muted in colour. In the earlier years of Bloom, the plants in these gardens would have vibrant, strong colours. The colour alone would take your breath away. Planting now has a different focus on sustainability and increasing biodiversity. When standing in the centre of the gardens this year, the predominant colour was green and the style; an ordered wildness.

I think we don’t have to lose the colour from our gardens to be sustainable and to increase biodiversity. In our garden, we haven’t sprayed for years. We’ve also let about half of it back to nature.

Still, that has to be managed or there will be nothing but briars and nettles. So I do curtail them along with creeping cleavers and the notorious bind weed.

Moving onto the NDC sponsored garden called The Grass Advantage, a silver-gilt winner, designed by Robert Moore. I did expect green here.

There was a lovely multi-species sward with lots of white clover. Many ornamental grasses were on display and this idyllic garden movement made me think of our farming countryside on a windy day.

This creation showed how our gardens can blend easily into the farmland.

I left The Citroën Downsizers’ Garden, designed by Louise Checa to last. I know Louise and was already aware that she had won a gold medal, the best planting award and the designers’ choice award. Louise brought me into the garden and I feasted on her planting arrangements.

Bringing ideas home is what Bloom is about. This was a colourful garden with beautiful shades of pink, white, lilac, deep purple and maroon.

The architectural beauty of a huge Angelica plant caught my eye. There were ferns and grasses, and a flat mound shaped conifer that would add interest in winter time. The public feasted on this garden.

I made for home, a happy lady with a few carefully chosen plants in the boot. My green fingers have been energised from my visit to Bloom. Well done Bord Bia.