The winners of the Airtricity Garden Festival Awards were announced at an awards presentation at Hillsborough Castle at the opening of the Festival on Friday 18 May. The awards were presented by the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Festival Patron the Marquess of Downshire.
The judging panel, chaired by Gardening expert Frances MacDonald, had a tough job of choosing winners for the Large and Small Garden categories. Gold and Best in Show in the Large Garden category was awarded to a garden entitled ‘At One with Nature’ which was designed by Johnny Knox and landscaped by Gardener’s Friend Landscapes from Ballynahinch. Gold and Best in Show in the Small Garden category went to The ‘Hobbit’ Garden, inspired by the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster from the award-winning director of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Peter Jackson. The garden was designed by Laurence Christie and landscaped by Greenleaf NI who’s 2011 entry, the intricate ‘Apothecary’ garden won Gold at last year’s event.
Silvers were awarded in the Large Garden category to the Ards Borough Council garden ‘Raising Awareness of Biodiversity’, the B&Q garden ‘Better Homes Better Lives’, and in the Small Garden category to the CAFRE Greenmount Campus garden ‘Greenmount Centenary’.
Chair of the Judging panel Frances MacDonald commented:
‘At One with Nature’ is a beautifully finished and completely natural looking garden with superb attention to detail. It achieved the challenge of making what is a temporary display for the Show look like a permanent garden. The ‘Hobbit’ Garden was an extremely clever design for a small space with well balanced planting and perfectly fitted the movie theme.”
Commenting on the Airtricity Garden Festival, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Owen Paterson said:
“I am delighted that Hillsborough Castle has once again played host to this annual event which is going from strength to strength judging by the numbers attending today. It has become a very popular show in the Northern Ireland events calendar and it is a pleasure to be presenting the prizes to the winners once again. The standard of the entries is extremely high and I am only glad that I was not called upon to act as a judge. I congratulate all those involved, particularly for the hard work that went on behind the scenes. I am very impressed by all the skills displayed today – gardening is obviously in safe hands in Northern Ireland – brightening as it does the outlook for all involved – the gardeners and those lucky enough to view the results.”
Source: Hortitrends News Desk
