Laois family’s home-grown garden wins national award

A LAOIS family are celebrating after their creative home-grown garden earned them a top prize in Co-operative Housing Ireland’s annual gardening competition.

Vasile and Diana Neghina, who live in Graigue na hAbhainn, Graiguecullen, transformed the garden of their Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) home into a thriving space filled with strawberries, herbs and vegetables, all grown in wooden raised beds made from recycled pallets.

Diana said: “For my husband, gardening is anti-stress, a kind of therapy. We grow everything from strawberries to mint and parsley and even make compost water from banana peels and eggshells.” 

Their three children Avidan (9), Estera (7) and Elisei (3) have learned the value of nature and patience from helping in the garden.

“It teaches them where food comes from and to appreciate it,” Diana said.

The family’s creativity and sustainable approach saw them win Best Flower or Food Garden in CHI’s national competition, which celebrates the imagination and community spirit of members across the country.

Diana credits CHI with helping her family feel connected to their community. She said: “I didn’t know what a co-operative was before. Now I feel part of something bigger, not just our estate but a whole community across Ireland.” 

The couple, originally from Moldova and now Irish citizens, hope more local families will be inspired to start growing their own food.

“Don’t be afraid to start,” said Diana. “It’s fresh, organic and cost-effective and it brings people together.” 

Aoife Kirk, CHI community engagement specialist, said: “The Neghina family’s garden shows how creativity and sustainability can thrive in small spaces and how shared experiences like this strengthen communities.” 

The gardening competition is one of several initiatives run by CHI to ‘engage and empower member tenants’ across its 6,000 homes nationwide. The programme encourages members to connect with neighbours, learn new skills and take pride in their communities.

CHI is an Approved Housing Body providing and managing over 6,000 high-quality homes for low- and moderate-income households nationwide. 

The organisation promotes co-operative principles through member engagement, ensuring member tenants have a voice and play an active role in shaping their communities.