Super Garden returns with five new budding gardeners
You know it's almost summer when Super Garden returns to our screens, and the newest season of the beloved show kicks off this Thursday, 23 April with a host of budding gardeners.
Each year five nature lovers take on the challenge of designing a stunning home garden worthy of going to Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland's premier garden show.
With just three weeks and a budget that amounts to €15,000, each designer takes over one garden in a new social housing estate – their blank canvas – to make something that will impress the judges. They'll need vision, muscle, patience and knowledge to create their gardens.
This year's location is Millrace in Ashbourne County Meath, a new social housing development by Meath County Council. Five families, who had just moved into their new homes, had the privilege of seeing their gardens transformed for the competition.
Super Garden 2026, Judges L-R Brian Burke, Kerrie Gardiner, Carol Marks, Monica Alvarez
The winning garden is recreated at Ireland's premier garden and food event, Bord Bia Bloom, where over 100,000 guests will get to see the garden up close, no doubt taking cues for their own home gardens.
Of course, an expert panel of judges are on hand to decide this year's winner: Brian Burke, representing Woodie's, who is a previous Super Garden winner; Kerrie Gardiner Bord Bia Bloom’s Show Gardens Manager; Carol Marks, Manager of Horticulture Bord Bia; and Monica Alvarez, a garden design lecturer also representing Dulux.
Kicking off the new series is Eoighan Mountaine Barry, from Lucan in Dublin. Gardening and the outdoors is in his blood, as his father runs his own landscape business, so summer holidays, mid-term breaks always involved helping his dad.
With a passionate gardener for a mammy too, it was no surprise that Eoighan pursued a degree in Horticulture.
Crafting his entry for Super Garden was a family affair as he roped in all the family including his grandmother to help him build his submission. Eoighan's striking design mixes hard materials like glass bricks with natural elements like his centre piece olive tree.
Watch Super Garden this Thursday, 23 April at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
