RTÉ (in association with Bord Bia, Woodie’s and Cuprinol) are launching their annual call out for designers ready to showcase their green fingered talent in Irish television’s only garden design show: Super Garden. The five chosen to take part will compete for the prize of creating a garden for this year’s Bloom Garden Show taking place in June in the Phoenix Park.
Issued by the producers of Super Garden: Vision Independent Productions. For immediate release Monday the 1st of February 2016
ENTRIES NOW OPEN!
Super Garden launches the search to find the Ireland’s newest Super Garden Designer in association with Bord Bia, Woodie’s and Cuprinol.
This is a nationwide call out for five garden designers for the new series. Applications are welcomed from: keen hobbyists, recent design and horticulture graduates, or those starting out in the world of garden design gardening and landscape architecture.
Those who would like to showcase their skills are invited to get in touch now with the producers of the series: Vision Independent Productions.
Super Garden gives five first time garden designers an amazing chance to kick off their career with the ultimate business card: a half hour of prime-time television. One of the five will go a step further when their design is recreated at Bord Bia’s Bloom Festival and displayed for 100,000 visitors to enjoy.
The garden designs will be judged by a panel of experts led by Director of Bloom: Gary Graham.
Gary Graham: “Super Garden provides a fast track for aspiring garden designers to climb to the top of the industry in one year. Bloom is like a fashion catwalk for garden design and the Super Garden winner gets to strut their stuff alongside the very best designers in front of 100,000 visitors and the TV cameras. There is no better way to kick start a successful career”
Super Garden is open to anyone aged 18 and over who can display a passion for garden design and an understanding of meeting a homeowners’ brief and requirements. Aspiring designers will need to demonstrate an obvious flair for creating desirable outdoor spaces, but must also have the ability to bring ideas to fruition, constructed to a high standard and within a limited time and tight budget.
A platform for emerging designers
The lucky winner will be invited to feature their design at Bloom 2016 alongside many of the country’s top designers. Previous winners of the series have gone on to win medals at Bloom and to build highly successful careers.
Bloom, brought to you by Bord Bia
2016 is a special year for Bord Bia as it marks the tenth year of Bloom and launches its Origin Green to the public. The highly popular festival showcases the latest in garden design and horticulture alongside the country’s best food and drink, craft, fashion, music and family-friendly features. As ever, children are admitted free of charge and this year can expect a 5 day birthday party.
Last Year: Winner Of Super Garden 2015
Brian Burke is a mature student from Port Laois whose entry for last year’s series was a garden entitled ‘Non Forsit’ created for the Brett Family in Monasterevin. His brief was to create a garden for a young family with three children under 10, one of whom (Eddie) uses a mobility device. Brian rose to the challenge with a garden that was judged worthy of a place at Bloom. Brian recreated his design for the Festival, went onto win a Sliver Gilt Medal and has now cemented a career in the world of garden design – successfully turning his passion into a full time job.
Following the win, Brian said: “From the moment I got the initial call, to meeting with Eddie and the Brett family, to conceiving and executing a garden that fitted 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.”
Previous Winners going for gold at Bloom
Super Garden has a proven track record for those taking part.
Leonie Cornelius not only won a Gold Medal in 2012 for her garden she also won Best In Category (medium gardens). Leonie is now the Super Garden series mentor, offering advice and help to all five budding designers.
In Series 5 Lisa McKnight came out on top and went on to win silver in Bloom 2013 with the garden she created in County Limerick.
Cian Hawes won the series in 2014 with his contemporary Zen garden ‘Tus Nua’ and at that year’s Bloom took home a Silver Medal.
Last year in 2015 Brian Burke won the series and his garden went on to win a Silver Gilt Medal at Bloom.
How to enter
If you are looking to nurture a successful career in garden design or simply to showcase your talent Super Garden is a great place to start.
Entrants are required to submit an application form.
All entries will be assessed and a short-list of potential candidates will then be contacted for face-to-face interviews.
The five selected designers will then set about creating a design that fulfills the homeowners’ brief. This is a genuine challenge.
The homeowners are real people with real gardens in need of real design.
For Homeowners: how to enter for a free garden makeover.
Homeowners will be invited to nominate their garden in need of a makeover in the coming weeks. Full details will be announced very soon.
