News Release
BLOOMING GREAT DEBUT FOR FORD KUGA
New Model to be Star Attraction in ‘Ford Allergy-Friendly Garden’
Cork, May, 2008 – The new Kuga, Ford’s first entry in the compact SUV segment, will make its Irish debut at Bloom 2008, Ireland’s largest gardening event, which takes place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, over the June Bank Holiday weekend. Drawing on Ford’s unique interior allergy-friendly characteristics, the Kuga will take pride of place in the specially designed ‘Ford Allergy-Friendly Show Garden’ during the Bloom event.
The Ford Kuga and broader car range have received official allergy-friendly accreditation from across Europe. The accreditation has been provided by the German standards authority TUV following a series of rigorous tests, assuring that all interiors of the Ford cars minimise the allergy risk to the lowest possible level. The Ford range has also received the official approval from the British Allergy Foundation and the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF).
“The Kuga with its off road 4x4 capability is an exciting new departure for us in Ford. With an attractive mix of style and ruggedness, and its allergy-friendly interior, it is ideally suited to the surroundings of Bloom, Ireland’s leading gardening and outdoor lifestyle event”, said Eddie Murphy, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford Ireland. “With the high prevalence of asthma and other allergies in Ireland, we are sure that the ‘Ford Allergy-Friendly Garden’ will strike a chord for the thousands of visitors to Bloom this year”.
‘The Ford Allergy Friendly Garden’ has been conceived and created by Meadow Garden Designers, based in Dublin. The garden highlights the usage of allergy friendly plants to ensure a garden environment suitable for asthma / hay fever sufferers and allergy-prone families.
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with Ford to design and build this allergy-friendly garden,” explains Ciaran Kirwan, Founder of Meadow Garden Designers. “The garden uses the OPALS (Ogren Plant Allergy Scale) system to deliver the allergy-friendly scheme while providing colour and shape through mounded and curvaceous threads of planting. We hope our theme provides a stimulating and inspiring experience for the Bloom audience”
In 2006, Ciaran Kirwan won a Show-garden Bronze Medal at the RHS Tatton Park Garden Show. Planting consultation has been provided by Paul and Orla Woods of Kilmurry Nursery, Wexford, who are Floral Gold Medal Winners at the RHS Chelsea Garden Show.
Bloom, hosted by Bord Bia, will run from Thursday 29th May to Monday 2nd June inclusive. Last year, the inaugural Bloom event attracted over 50,000 visitors. For more information on Bloom,
please log onto www.bloominthepark.com.
