Monica Alvarez – Delta Sensory Gardens

Monica Alvarez – Delta Sensory Gardens

Boundaries, Hedges and Restoration

Monica Alvarez discusses garden design and more specifically addresses boundary issues and large existing hedges. Monica will then bring her talk outdoors into the beautiful gardens at Delta and will also do a demonstration on proper pruning techniques and carrying out pruning in situ.

Monica has developed many hands on gardening courses so her talk here will sure to be a delight for budding gardening enthusiasts.

Biography – Monica Alvarez

Dulux Supergarden judge, Monica Alvarez,  was born in the beautiful region of Northern Spain, and she moved to Ireland in 1994. Her appreciation of stunning landscapes and love for the outdoor life continued in Ireland and encouraged her to pursue a career in horticulture and garden design.

Monica’s career in horticulture began in 1996 when she attended a Teagasc course on soft fruit in Clonroche, County Wexford. There she quickly developed a love for plants and the horticultural environment and subsequently trained in Amenity Horticulture with the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. She soon obtained the position as Head Gardener in the splendid Luttrelstown Castle Demesne in Castleknock, which boasts over 300 species of exotic trees and plants. There she maintained the castle grounds for three years, specialising in pruning and garden restoration.

This work provided her with a genuine practical knowledge of gardening techniques, which now benefits her students at Dundrum College of Further Education, where Monica lectures in garden and landscaping design. Monica’s work for Dundrum CFE has led to the development of the most “hands on” gardening course available in Dublin. Over the years, she has brought many students to showcase their designs at Bloom, providing both a valuable and a practical learning experience. The reward came as several of these students succeeded in winning medals and following on the design career path to become well known designers in the horticultural community.

Monica’s private practice as one of Ireland’s best garden designers continues to be defined by her passionate love for nature, the environment and the invaluable connection that our natural world provides to people.