Super Garden, the garden design challenge, is back for its 16th series on RTÉ One. Super Garden is proudly sponsored by Woodie's and Dulux Exteriors.
The winning designer is given the chance to showcase their winning garden at Bord Bia Bloom, where over a hundred thousand visitors will have the chance to see their winning design brought to life, joining the ranks of Ireland’s top garden designers. Each designer is given three weeks and a budget of €15,000 to create their gardens. They are each given a similar sized garden to create their designs, working alongside each other in the new housing development.
Baker Hall in Navan, County Meath, built by Glenveagh Homes, is the location for this year's Super Garden. The designers will be creating gardens for homeowners, who have recently purchased these new homes with the support of Meath County Council and the Land Development Agency, through the affordable housing scheme.
Overseeing the competition are the three judges;
Brian Burke, representing Woodies and former Super Garden winner
Monica Alvarez, representing Dulux Exteriors
Carol Marks, representing Bord Bia.
Episode 1
In episode one we see Jorge Aragón Cano, Dublin based but originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, designing a garden for new homeowners Layla and Dylan. The homeowners are looking for something dog friendly for their dog Nando and somewhere to entertain family and friends. Jorge plans to bring his design titled 'Failte Fiesta' to life for Layla and Dylan, a design that combines Irish and Mexican cultures, and simply put, will be a party garden!
Jorge, aged 38, with a degree in industrial design engineering, moved to Ireland 12 years ago. He has always wanted to work in industrial design but pursued a career in the tech industry as a team leader, taking on roles with Google and most recently Tik Tok, where he worked for two years but left through redundancy in April. Redundancy has led him to be in the process of setting up his own interior design business (jorgearagon_haus). He works on design projects in his spare time, ranging from intimate balcony makeovers to small scale garden, patio and interior designs. Jorge has watched Super Garden over the years and always dreamed of taking part. He feels it will help him to grow as a designer and would be a great personal accomplishment.
Episode 2
In episode two, Eileen Sung, Belfast based but originally from Derry, is designing a garden for young family Vasile, Sarah, Francesco (aged 3) and their baby on the way. Eileen aims to create a 'new beginnings' garden.
Eileen, aged 72, is a latecomer to garden and design, having had a varied and exciting career before coming to her passion for gardening. Leaving college, Eileen took up a job as a police officer for eight years in Hong Kong. Upon returning to Belfast from Hong Kong, Eileen joined the civil service as a clerk for the NI assembly where she remained until retirement. Upon retirement, Eileen took up studying horticulture which she has been doing for the last 12 years. In June 2024, she graduated with a degree from the University of Ulster in horticulture. Eileen is a volunteer gardener and garden guide at Rowallane National Trust and has previously worked for Belfast City Council as a garden labourer. It would be Eileen’s dream to go to Bloom as a garden designer.
Episode 3
In episode three, Debbie Brophy, Kildare based but originally from Laois, is designing a garden for young family Anju, Jaison and son Steve (aged 3). The homeowners have asked Debbie for a nature friendly family garden that is also low maintenance, and suitable for their young son Steve to have friends over to play. Debbie hopes to impress the judges with her 'bee happy' wildlife garden, inspired by a honeybee colony that moved into her own garden last year.
Debbie, aged 41, has just completed her postgraduate diploma with the Garden Design Academy, and holds a degree in Fine Art painting. She has previously lived in both the UK and Spain. Debbie’s parents, especially her dad, were keen gardeners, and have been her biggest inspirations. At the moment, Debbie is doing a bit of garden maintenance, and is selling hanging baskets, a business born out of the pandemic when she started to sell indoor plants online. Debbie has a 2 year old daughter, Poppy, who she hopes she can inspire too by turning her passion for garden design into a career.
Episode 4
In episode four Chris Walsh, from Wicklow, is designing a garden for Brazilian couple Aline and Marcelo. The homeowners have emphasised how important it is for them to have a barbeque area, to entertain family and friends, as Marcelo is a chef. Chris hopes to create a 'culinary canopy' design, with planting being key to Chris’s garden as he plans to try and attract wildlife to the garden, bringing in his love for the environment.
Chris, aged 32, has a passion for the environment. With a background in environmental science, Chris studied wildlife biology in IT Tralee. He has worked in environmental consultancy, but ultimately decided to pursue his passion of gardening. He took a part time course in the Garden Design Academy whilst undertaking work experience with a garden design company in Dublin. This drove him to set up his own landscaping business Birch & Fern. Chris has a passion for transforming blank spaces, which is part of the reason he applied to Super Garden, to show what can be achieved in a small space. As a new business owner, the opportunity for Chris to go to Bord Bia Bloom would be the pinnacle for him as a designer and landscaper.
Episode 5
In episode five we see Rosie McGuire, Kildare based but originally from Stamford in Lincolnshire, designing a garden for young couple Adrian and Gabriella, and their dog Leo. Rosie has come 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. Rosie will be bringing 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.
Rosie, aged 47, has a background in theatre, having worked as a theatre designer for 20 years and taught at Royal Holloway college. She also wrote children's books as well as illustration and animation. At the moment Rosie is pursuing a 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 3 years ago as her husband’s job relocated them to Ireland. 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 north inner city Dublin, that provides education for teenage mums, asylum seekers and anyone in the surrounding community.
