Series 11, episode 3 – Thursday 9th May 8.30 RTÉ ONE
‘Family Togetherness’ garden, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Thursday 9th May, RTÉ ONE, 8.30 pm
The competition is heating up on Super Garden as five budding garden designers battle it out to secure a coveted show garden spot at Ireland’s premier garden festival, Bloom 2019.
This week’s designer, Landscaper Paddy McDermott, is as competitive as they come. The fact that Donegal has never had a Super Garden winner before was reason enough for him apply. He has just 4 weeks to build his contemporary style garden for the Kelly family in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Paddy entered Super Garden with his ‘Family Togetherness’ design with one aim in mind, getting to Bloom! He’ll have to win over the judges first.
Designer: Paddy McDermott (35), Ballybofey, Co. Donegal
Occupation: Self Employed Landscaper (own company) Creative Landscaping Works
Paddy McDermott comes from a big family, third youngest of 12, he learned to be competitive from a young age playing GAA with his club Burt and for the Donegal county Hurling team. A retired player, he now lives with wife Lynn and their brand new baby daughter Fianna, who was born in February. Life has always been busy for Paddy, he left school at 15 to find work.
Working in landscaping for 14 years, Paddy decided to set up his own business 4 years ago. Some of Paddy’s bigger projects include the Letterkenny courthouse, hotels, and his claim to fame, the garden of Danny O’Carroll of Mrs Brown’s Boys. Things have gone from strength to strength for this proud Donegal man but Paddy loves to challenge himself. Winning club and county hurling medals down through the years Paddy has a competitive side and says ‘failure’ is his biggest fear. He’s looking for some more medals to add to his collection, wife Lynn describes Bloom as the ‘All Ireland of his profession’.
Homeowners: Kieran (46) and Olivia Kelly (43), Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Kieran and Olivia moved into their home in Letterkenny four years ago shortly after getting married. They recently welcomed the arrival of their first child, Joshua, born in September 2018.
Kieran says that he is starting to become “green fingered” and works on the garden each summer, cutting the grass, prying the trees. Unfortunately he has no idea about design and would love to hand that aspect over to someone creative. Kieran and Olivia would also love to be the garden that helped Donegal get it’s very first Super Garden winner!
Design: ‘Family Togetherness’ garden
Paddy’s ‘Family Togetherness’ garden will have a little something for everyone and mix contemporary and modern design features. A chill out space with coloured beanbags for children with potted Bamboo for privacy. For the adults a raised patio under a wooden pergola with a nest seat to swing out over the Lavender bed underneath.
In between these areas a Japanese Acer will be Paddy’s centerpiece surrounded by Japanese forest grass. A water feature positioned behind a glass panel on the back wall spills into a stream running under the patio and can be seen through a reinforced glass panel in patio floor. Paddy hopes his unique water feature will bring the wow factor the judges are looking for.