James Purdy has achieved the highest award at the Bord Bia Bloom 2025 Garden Show, located in Phoenix Park in Dublin. The Annalong-born man won a Gold medal and the Best Large Show Garden Award this year for his ‘Repak Most Sorted Garden’.
Over 10,000 people attended the five-day event at the end of May and beginning of June, with many visitors travelling from all parts of Ireland to enjoy the show.
Representing Repak, the Irish government’s initiative to reduce and recycle waste, James’ winning design showcased the ways in which everyday objects can be reused, recycled, or rejuvenated—all within a beautifully landscaped garden.
“This was my sixth year designing a garden at Bloom and it was one of the most complex gardens that I had to figure out as we used salvaged materials for everything,” James told Bord Bia after his success at this year’s garden show.
“The goal of the garden was to inspire people to rethink their relationship with materials and embrace a world where nothing is thrown away, only transformed. It worked, as visitors were very interested in our message and there were lots of ideas for them to take away. People saw that you can take ordinary materials and make a show garden out of them. We were delighted with the response, and I was thrilled to receive a gold medal and the Best in Category award,” James said.
James is no stranger to Bord Bia Bloom, having previously secured a Silver Gilt medal in 2024 for ‘Love that Keelings Feeling Garden’, a Silver Gilt medal in 2023 for ‘The Coastal Garden’, a Gold medal in 2019 for ‘The Healthy Way Garden’, and a Gold medal in 2016 for ‘Podscape Garden’.
Now living in Belfast, James is a qualified architect as well as a leading garden designer. As the son of Jim and Ralda Purdy in Annalong, he is proud of his Mourne roots, drawing inspiration from the striking scenery of the mountains and coastal walks surrounding his home village.
Anyone wishing to contact James can do so via his webpage at jamespurdyarchitects.co.uk or on Facebook at JP Architects & Landscape Design.
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