Two Monaghan garden designers have won big at this year's Bord Bia Bloom.
Declan McKenna from Emyvale and Benny Magennis from Clontibret were among 22 garden designers to have their gardens showcased in this year's show gardens at the event.
Benny's garden design is based on recreating a rural countryside pasture, which also pays homage to hedgerow vegetation like cow parsley and primrose, amongst others.
While, Declan's garden is designed to represent a typical family home with a kitchen/laundry, garden, and shed storage.
His design creates awareness of the best safety practices when using garden chemicals and the importance of reading labels and keeping children safe in the garden.
Speaking to Northern Sound News at Bloom both garden designers say they are delighted with their medal winning performance and are looking forward to seeing so many people over the long weekend.
Clontibret Native Benny Magennis says both Monaghan men are putting Monaghan on the map at this years Bloom.
Declan Mc Kenna is the in-house designer at Silverstream Landscapes in Monaghan. He studied at the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise in Greenmount, Co. Antrim where he received a Foundation Degree and Higher National Diploma in Horticulture.
Declan was a finalist in the Horticulturist of the Year 2012 and competed in the 2013 series of RTÉ’s Super Garden. This is his second show garden for Bord Bia Bloom. His first garden, Sunwood’s A Contemporary Expression (2015) won a silver medal.
Benny Magennis is a creative designer who is heavily involved in multiple disciplines, from landscape design and creative and visual art to product and furniture design. He creates concept installations for public spaces and company brands.
A graduate of the National School of Furniture in London (2011), Benny is a member of the Design & Craft Council of Ireland and has exhibited in New York, London, Paris, and China. This is his second show garden for Bord Bia Bloom. His Minions Garden for Universal Pictures Ireland won a silver medal in 2022.
