Annual Celebrity Lecture

On Saturday 9 April Diarmuid Gavin, garden designer, TV presenter and author, entertained members and guests with a lively talk lasting nearly two hours, entitled My Mischievous Life Making Show Gardens.

At a young age, Diarmuid admired a Dublin garden full of gnomes and other bright objects: conventional garden design was not for him. Diarmuid’s first garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1995 cost a total of £300. In 2004, he spent £250,000 on a steel pod alone, which prompted a reviewer to describe the pod as “only slightly smaller than Diarmuid Gavin’s ego”! In 2011, Diarmuid achieved a Chelsea Gold Medal with his Irish Sky Garden; the only garden at the show with a Lutyens bench fitted with safety belts. At Chelsea this year, Diarmuid is presenting the British Eccentrics Garden. Inspired by William Heath Robinson, it is intended to be fun and has extensive mechanical elements.

Diarmuid describes himself as “a drama queen who likes drama”, and garden design would be far duller without him.

Next meeting: Saturday 14 May, 2pm at Crowle Parish Hall, WR7 4AZ, Brian Ellis of Avondale Nursery is guest speaker. More details from: www.worcs-hardy-plant.org.uk

JAYNE SAVAGE