*Embargo: 7.30pm*
Brian Burke has been revealed as the winner of SuperGarden 2015 and is the Silver-Gilt Medal winner at Bloom 2015 for the garden he created for the Brett family.
Of the win, Brian says: “From the moment I got the initial call, to meeting Eddie and the Brett family to conceiving and executing a garden that fit their needs to being selected to go to Bloom and rubbing shoulders with the cream of the country’s design talent, the whole process has been overwhelmingly positive. The memory of the day when the family finally got to use the garden is one that will stay with me for life. I have made friends for life, it has been wholesome, fulfilling, enriching and ultimately exhilarating and I have loved every minute of it.”
About the garden
In episode two of the series, Burke took over the Brett family’s back garden in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. The brief for Brian was to create a garden the whole family could enjoy. Brian faced many challenges head on; making the garden user friendly for wheelchair bound Eddie (18 month old) and also a fun and entering space for the other two children Namia (8) and Evan (4).
About the designer
Brian was working in the construction industry but the downturn in the economy gave him an opportunity to focus on a passion and is currently studying a FETAC level 5-foundation course in Organic Horticulture, and would like to continue onto Level 6 landscape design.
Brian is a busy Dad of five children aged from 1 to 16 and is based in Kildare.
The garden, entitled ‘Non Forsit’
Non Forsit is latin and tranlates literally as ’No Problem’. The youngest child in the family, Eddie was born with Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is latin and translates literally as ‘Split Spine’.
Brian has worked hard to develope a design that will offer Eddie access to all elements of the garden. He sets out to achieve this by providing wheelchair compatible paths to every area, building gentle gradient ramps for level changes, eliminating kerbs and ground level protrusions for easy transition between surfaces and constructing interactive elements such as a water feature, vegetable planters and an insect colony at a height suitable for Eddie’s mobility aid.
Brian’s garden will attract wildlife and will be both a place for the children to play and explore together and also for the family to entertain and relax in.
The Homeowners:
Brett Family – A garden where all the children can access, a fun space with an adult zone.
Lisa (34) & Adrian Brett (36) along with the 3 children Namia (8), Evan (4, 5 in May) and Eddie (1, 2 in May) all originally come from Kildare. Adrian is a soon to be made redundant sales rep with Mondelez and Lisa is a stay at home mum. Previously Lisa has trained and worked as a Montessori teacher, but things changed when her mother developed Alzheimer and Lisa’s focus changed to helping her father care for her mum while trying to run the family business (Lumville house) a small hotel in Naas. The couple have three children and their youngest; Eddie was born with Spina Bifida and uses a wheelchair to get about. The couple applied to the show to give all the children the best garden. At the moment Eddie is restricted to just the concrete driveway and the family would love a garden were he can join in with the other children.
The Sponsors
The garden makeovers are courtesy of the show sponsors; Woodie’s and Cuprinol (Paints – part of Dulux Brand)