Super Garden 2026 winner revealed
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner of the competition. The final episode of this season of Super Garden aired this evening, Thursday 28 May 2026, on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Now in its 17th year, Super Garden, which is sponsored by Woodie’s and Dulux Exteriors, allows garden designers the opportunity to compete to showcase their garden at Bord Bia Bloom, Ireland’s premier garden and food event, taking place in Dublin this June Bank Holiday Weekend.
Following in the footsteps of ten generations of gardeners in his family, Sean is doing an apprenticeship in horticulture through the Botanic Gardens. In 2020, his father Dermot took part in Super Garden and created a spectacular garden but didn’t make it to Bloom. This year, Sean has claimed the top prize for the family. His contemporary “Urban Jungle” garden used strong colours and elevated spaces to manage a challenging high concrete wall, impressing the judges with what he achieved within the time limit of three weeks. Having been crowned the winner, Sean will exhibit his garden at Bord Bia Bloom.
Speaking about his win, Sean said: “I can’t believe it’s come true, it honestly doesn’t feel real yet.”
The location for this year’s Super Garden was a new social housing development by Meath County Council called Millrace, located in Ashbourne, Co. Meath. Five families, who had just moved into their new homes, had their gardens transformed for the competition. Each garden designer tailored their garden to the needs of the family.
Kerrie Gardiner, Show Garden Manager for Bord Bia Bloom and Chief Judge of Super Garden, praised Sean’s garden and his approach: “That Sean, at 20 years of age, is able to achieve such a garden with so many great touch points is very impressive.”
The other garden designs featured in Series 17 of Super Garden were Eoighan Mountaine Barry’s “All Seasons” garden, Janani Rajkumar’s “Irish Landscape” garden, Emily Moorcroft’s “Bear’s Wild Corner”, and Adrian Bolton’s “Green Man Sanctuary” garden.
All episodes of Series 17 of Super Garden are streaming now on RTÉ Player.
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For more information:
Kate Smyth, RTÉ Communications Lead