The 16th series of beloved gardening competition Super Garden has returned to our screens on RTÉ One, with this week's episode introducing viewers to the final designer of this series, Rosie Alabaster.
Originally from Stamford in Lincolnshire, Rosie is now based in Kildare and has a keen interest in theatre. As well as working as a theatre designer for over 20 years, and teaching at Royal Holloway college, the 47-year-old wrote children's books as well as illustration and animation.
Transitioning her love of design from the stage to the garden, Rosie is pursuing her MA in landscape architecture online with the University of Arts, Bournemouth. The course combines her two loves: plants and outdoor spaces.
Rosie moved to Ireland three years ago as her husband's job relocated them. Her husband, Pascal, is originally from Leitrim, and together they have two children, Jack (13) and Meabh (11).
Rosie is currently designing a small garden for a charity in the north inner city of Dublin, which provides education for teenage mums, asylum seekers and anyone in the surrounding community.
On Super Garden, Rosie has been tasked with designing a garden for young couple Adrian and Gabriella, and their dog Leo.
Merging her love for literature and the outdoors, Rosie came up with a strong concept that she hopes will take her to Bord Bia Bloom, a garden inspired by the poem by WB Yeats, Lake Isle of Innisfree.
"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade."
She planned to bring the lake from the poem to her garden with a large wildlife pond, which will be the most dominant feature of the design and something that is a first for Super Garden.
Her concept included a reading nook, patio, dining area, and stone path. As impressive as these plans were, though, they didn't necessarily address the homeowners' request for making the space dog-friendly.
And while Judge Monica Alvarez was impressed by Super Garden's first pond, she was concerned that the rest of the garden took a little bit of a backseat.
Judge Carol Marks noted that some of the trees were wilting in the summer heat, but Judge Brian Burke surmised that the design was a "bold" and "daring".
In the end, with just three weeks and a €15,000 budget, Rosie delivered a unique garden that the homeowners were thrilled with.
Super Garden airs Tuesdays at 7pm. Catch up on RTÉ Player.
