Cork man is set to appear on Super Garden TV show
Cork gardener Mark Hoey, who is tasked with creating a dream garden for Shelly Gaynor.
Landscape gardener Mark Hoey, 32, is set the challenge as he tries to impress the judges in the episode on RTÉ1 on Thursday at 8pm.
Mark, originally from Louth, lives in Cork with his wife Emma and baby daughter Bella. He feels he’s quite easy-going but wife Emma thinks there’s an extremely competitive man behind the quiet exterior!
Mark, a long-distance runner, represented Ireland at European Junior Cross Country Championships so he knows what it’s like to compete with the best.
He is determined to give everything to his garden quest and moves to Dublin full-time away from his family for the three weeks it takes to design it — but Emma and Bella are behind him all the way.
Mark is tasked with creating a paradise for homeowner, Shelly Gaynor, who has cerebral palsy and is a disability and independent living campaigner.
She wants a garden that both looks good and is easily accessible so she can enjoy it with her family and friends.
Mark designs a ‘Reflection’ garden for Shelly using black-water pools to bring in the sky and surrounding plants into the garden and help create a sanctuary for her.
His inspiration for the black-water pool design comes from a personal interest recognising the importance of mental health.
Mark wants to build his garden on the diagonal using paving and straight lines softened by planting to create a contemporary suburban garden.
He will have just three weeks to build it and prove to the Super Garden judges that he has what it takes to go to Bloom 2021
For Mark, building his super garden will be a family affair — he’ll be helped by his father Paddy, a sheep farmer who also works in a garden centre.
Father-in-law Chris has also been signed up to help — Mark describes him as a perfectionist so he’s happy to have him on the team.
Mark became interested in garden design when he took a summer job with a landscaper at 18 and he’s been working in the industry ever since.
Building a garden is second nature, but he’s less confident with planting and horticulture so this will be his biggest challenge. He wants to move away from the uninspiring standard back gardens, his style is contemporary with clean lines.
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