Alltar

This garden by Bord Bia Bloom's 2026 Cultivating Talent winner, Jack Donovan, explores the idea of landscape colonisation. It is inspired by French garden designer and botanist, Gilles Clément's concept of spontaneous vegetation and the resilience of plants that establish in disturbed ground. The design celebrates the ecological processes through which nature reclaims overlooked spaces.

A fractured ground plane and rammed earth base evoke disturbance and exposure of the soil profile, while a predominantly native planting palette demonstrates early ecological succession. A timber pavilion incorporating bat habitats offers refuge for wildlife and a quiet focal point for visitors.

This concept garden highlights how biodiversity can emerge through minimal intervention and thoughtful use of natural materials.