The Celebrity Dream Garden
Designer: Declan McKenna
About the garden
The Celebrity Dream Garden
Declan McKenna
Declan McKenna is the in-house designer at Silverstream Landscapes in Monaghan. He studied at the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise in Greenmount, County 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. He has designed and built award-winning Show Gardens at Bord Bia Bloom in 2015, 2023 and 2024. This is his fourth garden for the festival.
About The Celebrity Dream Garden
This garden was developed by Declan McKenna in collaboration with Brendan Courtney. Brendan Courtney is one of Ireland’s best known and well-loved TV presenters, broadcasters Social Media influencer and designers. He has almost completed the renovation of his home in Wicklow, and next will complete the implementation of his dream garden.
Garden Designer Tips
Declan's top tips for planning successful gardens.
Start with how you’ll use the space
Before choosing plants or furniture, think about function first. Do you want a place to relax, entertain, grow food, or let children play? from this divide the garden into “zones” for different uses, which makes the garden work for you and flow.
Limit your plant palette
Beginners often buy too many different plants. A more professional look usually comes from repetition — using fewer varieties in larger groups. Repeating colours, textures, or shapes creates harmony and makes the garden feel intentional and considered.
Think about structure all year round
Great gardens still look attractive in winter. Include evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, pathways, raised beds, or focal points like feature pots to give the garden shape even when flowers are not blooming.
Design in layers
Arrange planting with height in mind: taller plants at the back, medium plants in the middle, and low-growing plants at the front. Mixing heights, textures, and flowering times adds depth and keeps the garden interesting throughout the seasons.
Border Focus
This border has been designed for an east-facing aspect within the garden. “Work with your garden’s conditions, not against them. Spend a few days observing sunlight, shade, wind, and drainage before buying plants. A plant that suits the location will thrive with less maintenance. For example, lavender loves sunny, dry spots, while ferns prefer cooler shade.” The feature tree in this border is Zelkova serrata, a tree which has a long season of interest with small spring flowers, bright green leaves which turn golden in autumn, and it can be pruned to if planted in a very small garden. Two clipped Yew balls provide punctuation marks at each end of the border, while year-round colour is provided by a selection of ferns and grasses. Pops of colour from purple Digitalis (Foxglove), Astrantia major Florence® and frothy Lychnis Petite Jenny, demonstrating how repeating colours, textures, or shapes creates harmony, making the garden feel intentional and considered.
