skip to main content

Super Garden ***FINAL***

Siobhan Keogh Press Photo PRE TX Image Name: Siobhan Keogh Press Photo PRE TX
Fran Byrne Press Photo Image Name: Fran Byrne Press Photo
Tara Linnane Press Photo Image Name: Tara Linnane Press Photo
Mark Hoey Press Photo Image Name: Mark Hoey Press Photo
Super Garden, series 12, Brian Burke, Gary Graham and Monica Alvarez Judges in Rowlestown Image Name: Super Garden, series 12, Brian Burke, Gary Graham and Monica Alvarez Judges in Rowlestown
Super Garden. Picture Andres Poveda Image Name: Super Garden. Picture Andres Poveda
Dermot Melia - Press Photo Image Name: Dermot Melia - Press Photo
SG Ep6 Title Image Name: SG Ep6 Title
SG Ep6 3 Judges Image Name: SG Ep6 3 Judges
SG Ep6 Designer 5 Shot Image Name: SG Ep6 Designer 5 Shot

Over the previous five episodes, viewers have watched Dermot Melia create his ‘Room Effect’ design; Tara Linnane create ‘The Gourmet Garden’; Mark Hoey create ‘Reflection’; Fran Byrne create ‘La Vista’ and Siobhán Keogh create her ‘Retreat & Restorative’ garden.

Now the Super Garden judges must choose a winner.

This year a new social housing development in the village of Rowlestown, County Dublin has been home to the Super Garden Competition.

At the beginning of the year, our five budding designers were each allocated identical family back-gardens in the estate.

They all had two weeks to draft their garden design concept for their family and three weeks to build it. They all worked alongside each other over the same time-period creating their show gardens. Even though they were in direct competition this year they had to help plant each other’s gardens and reveal their designs to one another.

At the end of three weeks the Super Garden Judges, Manager of Bloom Gary Graham, Dulux Exteriors Design Ambassador Monica Alvarez, and Woodie’s Garden and DIY Expert Brian Burke, individually inspected each of the five gardens.

Now in ‘The Super Garden Finale’, they must deliberate together to decide who will be crowned Super Garden winner 2020 and secure a coveted show garden spot at Ireland’s premier garden festival, Bord Bia’s ‘Bloom’ in 2021.

The Super Garden 2020 Five Designers are:

DESIGNER ONE: Dermot Melia  (44), Co. Meath

Dermot Melia has created ‘Room Effect’ for homeowner Nicola Clancy (39), twins Tristan and Reuben (10).

Dermot is a landscaper with a unique sense of style, always well dressed, even in the garden. He loves going to gigs and spending time outdoors with his son, Sean (14), taking part in Adventure Races and works as DJ some weekends.  Single, Dermot’s idea of romance is a candlelit dinner at sunset and a holiday in Venice.

A 9th generation horticulturist, Dermot loves gardening and studied at Warrenstown Horticulture college and UCD. For the last 20 years he’s been building his skills working in the construction and landscaping industries. Currently, Dermot works in garden maintenance but he would love to get back to garden design full time. He has big dreams of winning a Gold medal at Bloom, the Chelsea Flower Show and one day hosting his own gardening TV show focusing on biodiversity.

Dermot likes to experiment with styles in a garden design  and takes inspiration from Diarmuid Gavin who’s garden he worked on for the 2005 Chelsea Flower Show. Using his skills and knowledge Dermot feels he can create a Super Garden to reflect his personality, that’s both loud and reserved all in one.  After years of thinking about applying for Super Garden Dermot is confident he can achieve his dream of going to Bloom 2021.

Design: Room Effect

Dermot called his design ‘Room Effect’ and has created areas with different themes that feel like extra rooms in the garden. Just at the back door Nicola will be able to step down into a sunken area for the whole family, which has a waterfall, artificial grass, surrounded by a natural stone wall. To the back of the garden a paved play area with seating for the boys is partially surrounded by a graffiti wall. Finally, he has creared a special romantic area for Nicola with a pergola to give her a place to chill out or have candle lit dinners.

Dermot feels his design has the perfect balance of hard and soft landscaping. He’s introducing natural elements in his stone work and using curves and circles to give a nice flow to the garden. His planting scheme of mature trees, structural shrubs and lower beds will soften the hard landscaping and help create movement, it’s a garden full of energy.

DESIGNER TWO: Tara Linnane (30), Co. Cavan

Tara Linnane has created ‘The Gourmet Garden’ for homeowners Aoife Doyle and Youssef Baotman (39), children Adam (11),  Zakaria (6) and daughter Laila (4)

Tara, originally from Dublin, is a country girl at heart with a passion for growing vegetables, permaculture and sustainable gardening. Tara discovered her passion for Garden Design and Horticulture at the age of 10, on a trip with her mum to Holland to see the tulip fields. It was no surprise to her family when she decided to study for her BA in Agricultural Science in UCD. Tara planned to move to New York to pursue a career in Rooftop Garden Design but that all changed when she met her future husband, Barry in her protected crops class. Tara went on to study a Masters in Marking at DIT and now works full time as a Product Owner for AIB on the mobile app. She dreams of being a designer.

Tara’s husband Barry comes from a family of mushroom farmers in Cavan, where the couple now live. On the farm they have a polytunnel where they host parties as well as grow fruit, veg and Tara’s prize possession, a banana plant. Tara and Barry have an Instagram account ‘@twopeas_inapolytunnel’ where they like to share their ideas. They also have two Alpacas, Monty and Mo.  

Tara applied for Super Garden this year because she felt the need for a new challenge and is keen to share her passion for sustainable gardening and permaculture. She feels everyone can grow something in their garden or balcony regardless of the size. As a designer Tara is not afraid to push boundaries and take risks. She’s competitive and always wants to be the first to try something new. Going to Bloom 2021 with a show garden has been a goal of Tara’s since the festival first began in 2007.

Design: ‘The Gourmet Garden’

Tara’s design is called ‘The Gourmet Garden’. Inspired by permaculture and edible forests, she is looking to introduce sustainable gardening into an urban setting where everything has a purpose. Tara’s garden has a hydroponic vertical grow wall for herbs and vegetables, rainwater collection for watering plants and an aquaponics system using fish to grow herbs! A patio area with built in seating and a cocktail table as a centre piece, house the aquaponics system. A breeze block feature-wall brings some all year colour to the garden, using a colour palette of blues and dark pinks inspired by Homeowner, Youssef’s Moroccan heritage. A small potting shed has also been incorporated into the design.

The family brief asked for sensory elements in the garden for youngest child Laila who has a developmental delay. So Tara has built a play pod inspired by the Japanese pod hotels with plenty to keep her interested. The planting scheme has a sensory element throughout the garden, with fragrant and edible plants and shrubs as well as tall grasses and fruit trees. A separate area for the kids is connected to the patio area by a pathway under planted with camomile lawn. In the kids area Tara has designed a pergola with swinging chair under which she plans to plant tall grass and a camomile lawn for low maintenance.

DESIGNER THREE: Mark Hoey (32), Middleton Co.Cork

Mark Hoey has created ‘Reflection’ for homeowner Shelly (Michelle) Gaynor (40) who is a wheelchair user & Disability and Independent Living Campaigner.

Mark (32) is originally from Louth but lives in Cork with his wife Emma and baby daughter Bella working full time in a Landscape Gardening company. Mark feels he’s quite easy going but wife Emma thinks there’s an extremely competitive man behind the quiet exterior. Mark, a long distance runner represented Ireland at European Junior Cross Country Championships so he knows what it’s like to compete with the best. Determined to give everything to Super Garden Mark will be moving to Dublin full time for the 3 week build. This will be especially hard on the 1st time dad but Emma and Bella are behind him all the way.

For Mark, building his Super Garden was be a family affair – he was helped by his own father Paddy, a sheep farmer who also works in garden centre. Father-in-law Chris has also been signed up to help, Mark describes Chris as a perfectionist so he’s happy to have him on the team.

Mark became interested in garden design when he took a summer job with a landscaper at 18 and he’s been working in the industry ever since. Building a garden is second nature, he’s less confident with planting and horticulture so this will be his biggest challenge. Mark wants to move away from the uninspiring standard back gardens, his style is contemporary with clean lines.

Mark’s dream would be to one day setup his own landscape design and construction business. Mark would love to win Super Garden, showcasing his garden in Bloom would be life changing.

Design: Reflection

Mark called his design ‘Reflection’ and wanted to create a sanctuary space with a focus on mental health. Mark has turned his design ‘on-the-diagonal’ to give the garden a sense of space and freedom. His key features are 4 black pools of water which reflect the sky and plants around them. A garden room with copper fascia and a living roof to the rear provide a shaded area for Shelly’s BBQ’s and summer get togethers. Floating flower beds provide colour and hedging separates the rear part of the garden.  

Mark has used granite and cobbled inish paving to give Shelly access to all parts of the garden. Artificial lawn connects the front and rear of the garden providing year-round access and low maintenance. The planting scheme of flowering shrubs, ferns and evergreen perennials softens the harder parts of the garden and bring vibrant year-round colour.

DESIGNER FOUR: FRAN BYRNE (60)

Fran Byrne from Rush, Co. Dublin has created ‘La Vista’ for Ciara (33) and Martin Harmon (34) children Jack (13), Ellen (4) and Charlie (1 ½)

Laid-back Fran Byrne’s interest in gardening came at a young age inspired by his father Johnie who worked in the Botanic Gardens Glasnevin. At the age of 12 he started working in gardens part time and gardening became his passion. Fran is a father of 6 children ranging from 16 – 33. Youngest son Jake will join him during the garden build in Rowlestown.

Fran began designing and building gardens, setting up his own company in 2000. Unfortunately due to the recession he had to dissolve the company in 2007 but he continued to work in landscaping and is now currently self-employed. Taking part in this years Super Garden is a major opportunity for Fran & he views it as a big ‘second-chance’ in his life. For Fran landscape design is his life, he loves the quirky design styles of Dairmuid Gavin. He likes to take risks when it comes to introducing different elements and mixing different styles into garden design.

Fran met his wife Myriam in her homeland of Chile 10 years ago and they married in 2012. Extensive travel across Europe, South America and Egypt has given Fran a wealth of ideas for garden design. Fran’s seating area for Super Garden has been inspired by a visit to Chile where every town is based on a central square with a water feature, seating area surrounded by trees.

With over 40 years of experience in landscaping Fran is hoping he might have the edge on his fellow designers. Fran applied to Super Garden to prove to his family, his industry and himself that he can do it, not just compete but get to Bloom 2021.

Design: La Vista

Fran has mixed different styles together in one small garden to try & create a family garden fit for all ages. In the seating area Fran has used bright colours inspired by the ‘Moorish’ style of Southern Spain and modern contemporary structured seating. A wooden built in bench in front of raised planters gives the family a perfect place to enjoy summer sun. A hanging table in the centre of the seating area also doubles as a water feature funnelling a stream through mosaic tiles down the centre of the patio.

From the patio, entry to the separate Woodland area is through raised planters. Fran adapted his plan to include the family’s trampoline, sinking it into the ground to remain hidden but accessible. A second seating area with a view of Rowlestown church also provides a handy way to keep an eye on the kids as they explore the garden.

The main seating area was planted using more structural plants like alliums, agapanthus, buxus and colourful tulips. Mature trees like cypress, magnolia and acers under planted with helleborus, fatsias, grasses and ferns will bring the woodland to this urban garden.

DESIGNER FIVE: SIOBHÁN KEOGH (28)

Siobhan Keogh from Cork has created ‘Retreat & Restorative’ for Margaret Jones (31) & daughter Katie (11).

Siobhan (28) is an architectural graduate from Cork City who describes herself as quite competitive, even if it’s mostly with herself. Siobhan won the Quercus Talented Student scholarship after graduating top of her class at University College Cork. In 2018 she achieved first class honours from the Master of  Architecture program.

Siobhan loves to be creative in any way she can, garden design is a new passion but it combines her love of working outdoors and nature. Coming from a design background Siobhan knows what she likes. Gardens that rely on large areas of hard landscaping or the use of unnatural products like fake grass are not her cup of tea.

Siobhan would love to bring her ‘Retreat & Restorative’ design to Bord Bia’s Bloom and prove that simple can also be showstopping.

Design: Retreat & Restorative Garden

Siobhan’s planting is the key feature in her garden, with an emphasis on texture, colour and movement. She’s implemented a drift planting scheme in her flower beds, mixing tall trees and grasses with ferns and herbaceous plants. Her aim was to create a feeling of being somewhere between a wild countryside and a beautiful painting. This will provide contrast with the clean simple lines in the furniture and hard landscaping.

To avoid unnatural materials, Siobhan used treated larch to build a wooden archway, bench and a raised planter, near the kitchen for herbs and vegetables. A corten steel water bowl sits in her rear flowerbed surrounded by plants for reflections. She’s also brought in a large corten steel mural of flowers which will be hung to the side of the archway. The garden has a number of seating areas, each offering their own unique view of the garden. Siobhan has used muted colours on the boundary walls and structures to help the planting stand out.