Award-winning Kildare gardener shares his tips and new projects

Gardeners often dare to dream in regards to what they can do with their outdoor spaces. Whether you own a prime acre plus or just your own little patch out the back, we all want to make the most of it.

There can be conflict between looks and practicality, but renowned gardener Brian Burke has beautifully married these two elements in his work.

The man from Hawkfield originally launched his career in construction and only found gardening much later in life, after being inspired by the stunning gardens in the United States, just north of Boston where he was working at the time.
Brian, with that building nous in his back pocket and beautiful landscape inspiration, started his own garden design business in 1998.

Brian calls it a modest start but he is now back in Ireland building fun and unique garden designs for events such as Bloom, Ireland’s largest gardening festival.

But it has been much more than just participating for the Kildare man, as his designs and works have won multiple medals at Bloom festivals over the years as well as being the RTE Super Garden winner in 2015.

“This is our sixth garden built with Bloom. One of things you notice down here is you know you have to be operating at a really high-level. The standards are incredible down here, everything has to be pristine,” Brian explained.
“To put all that work in through designing and building and to be recognised by judges and the general public is hugely exhilarating and satisfying also.”

For this year’s instalment of Bloom, Brian has partnered with Woodie’s for a concept inspired by the changes that have occurred in our relationship with our gardens over the last two years.

“The project is called ‘Seomra Eile’ and it focuses on the aspects of our lives that have changed by necessity recently.
People now recognise their gardens as an extension of their natural indoor space,” Brian described.

“That’s the idea of this, another room, you have this green space as you go through the patio doors, whether it is big or small. It is a blank space for you to create something brilliant. It is about showcasing ideas to make it an enhancement to your life.”
But it’s not all about the big lavish projects that he does now, Brian also has some handy tips for those looking to get into gardening or rejuvenate their outdoor space.

“You need to have a good think before you start. You need to know what you want from the space and how much maintenance you want to have to give.

“Do you want space to entertain guests or do you just like being outside on your own in the summer to relax?” Brian asked.

“It doesn't have to be about plants and the maintenance of them. If you don't have the time for plants, go for low-maintenance ones such as evergreens or just have a covered space, which has become so popular.”

Brian found gardening later in life but admits he is never short of inspiration at home with the stunning landscapes of Kildare.
“The obvious one is the Japanese Gardens. It’s spectacular and it's something we should be very proud of and it attracts tourists from all over. We spent a great amount of time there as kids and of course we have so much naturally occurring beauty of our own with the Curragh plains, lush farmlands and equine history,” Brian said.

But all this time spent creating gardens and spaces for others, what does Brian’s own garden look like?
“I live in Laois now near Killenard. We have a lot of space and I would like to say it looks beautiful or manicured but unfortunately it's like the old expression that the ‘cobbler’s kids are always barefoot’,” Brian explained.

“I never really have the time to spend on your garden so it's a bit of a hodgepodge of plants I have left over from projects or planted to keep them alive. To say it's eclectic would be putting it mildly.”

Brian may not have much of a chance to do it at home but his superb Seomra Eile creation will be on display alongside many others in the Phoenix Park for this year’s Bloom festival, which runs from June 2 to 6.