One Raharney-based garden designer is vying to have her garden design work showcased at Bloom 2017 in the coming weeks, and with the help of the people of Westmeath her dream could be made a reality.
Green-fingered Madeline Dinnen is a finalist in the hit RTÉ television series Super Garden.
This year’s series sees five budding garden designers battle it out to secure a coveted show garden spot at Ireland’s premier garden festival, Bloom 2017, which takes place at The Phoenix Park, Dublin from 1 to 5 June.
The final designer in this year’s series is mother-of-three Madeline, whose project aired on Tuesday , 23 May, when she created a fabulous outdoor living space for the Rogers family of 5, at their home in Clonsilla, County Dublin.
Maddie’s design featured a serene intimate relaxation space, chosen for Mum Evelyn, who is a breast cancer survivor, now thankfully in recovery. The garden met all the practical needs of a busy active family, featuring a utility shed, a social area in the garden’s suntrap, and a covered dining room for making the most of our mixed Irish summers. Maddie’s Super Garden gave this family much needed outdoor space to enjoy – whatever the weather!
“I’ve always had green fingers,” enthuses Maddie. “My fondest childhood memories are of gardening and growing vegetables with my mother in our countryside garden. I longed for a similar rural upbringing for my three children, so we relocated from Dublin city to Raharney in 2011.”
After finding the perfect site, Maddie oversaw the build of her dream home, and then set about transforming her one acre field into a stunning cottage garden. Quickly realising her love for landscaping, she completed a FETAC course in Horticulture and enrolled with the Garden Design Academy of Ireland, and with the support of Westmeath Community Development Board and the Westmeath Local Enterprise Office – she set up her own garden design company, www.maddiedineengardendesign. ie
The RTE Super Garden show and the Bloom festival has proven to be a powerful platform for Maddie’s business. The RTE Super Garden winner will be chosen by the Super Garden judges, and announced at Bloom, which takes place on the June bank holiday weekend. Westmeath viewers are urged to back the Westmeath gardener and vote via the Super Garden website www.rte.ie/tv/ supergarden until voting closes at 8pm on Thursday, 1 June.
