Retired policewoman, 72, hopes to win RTÉ's Super Garden on latest episode
A retired policewoman who always had a green finger turned her hobby into a career after leaving the force. Belfast-based Eileen Sung, 72, was the second garden designer featured on RTÉ One's Super Garden on Tuesday night.
Viewers saw her transform Vasile and Sarah's undecorated back garden into a gorgeous green space perfect for their three-year-old Francesco and a baby on the way. Before coming to her passion of gardening, Eileen had a varied and exciting career.
After leaving school at 19, she worked as a police officer in Hong Kong before returning to Belfast, where she worked as a clerk for the NI assembly. When she retired, the Derry-born woman studied at the University of Ulster and graduated with a horticulture degree.
She has previously worked for Belfast City Council as a garden labourer and is now a volunteer gardener and garden guide at Rowallane National Trust. The horticulturist is now hoping to win Super Garden - as the lucky winner will have their design showcased at Bord Bia's Bloom at the end of May.
Before Eileen got her hands on Sarah and Vasile's garden, the space wasn't being utilised. It featured a children's sandbox, and was home to the household's bikes.
The plant enthusiast got creative and transformed it into both a practical space that features beautiful and vibrant plants. It now holds two outdoor seating spaces, a wooden shed for the bikes and children's toys, and plant beds encasing the whole garden.
Eilleen's garden is called 'New Beginnings', as she took inspiration from the family's impending arrival. The winner of Super Garden will be decided by three judges - Brian Burke from Woodies, Carol Marks from Bord Bia and former Super Garden winner Monica Alvarez.
It's a dream for many designers, including Eileen, as their garden will be seen by over 100,000 visitors at Ireland's largest garden showcase. As part of RTÉ's Super Garden series, each designer is given €15,000 and three weeks to complete their masterpiece.
This year, every contestant was paired with a homeowner who recently purchased a house built by Glenveagh Homes in Baker Hall, Navan, Co Meath. They are each given a similar-sized garden to create their designs, working alongside each other in the new housing development.
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