Diarmuid Gavin

Diarmuid Gavin (born 10 May 1964) is an Irish garden designer and television personality.

Gavin was born in London on 10 May 1964, to Irish parents, and brought to Ireland when he was a month old.

He grew up in the Fairways development in Rathfarnham, a suburb of Dublin.

When Gavin was six, his younger brother Conor was killed by a car while they were walking to school.

He received his primary school education in St. Joseph's Boys National School in Terenure.

He received his secondary education at Templeogue College; he recalls the subjects as being "horrifying," with the exception of art classes with a favourite teacher, Mr Weafer.

He applied to the College of Amenity Horticulture at the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin, failing the first time, but securing entry three years later.

Gavin started work with small jobs, the first, a suburban house garden featuring gravel and railway sleepers, in 1988, while he was studying at Glasnevin, still intact as of 2016.

A notable early commission was for social columnist Terry Keane, a contract during which he also met his future wife.

Gavin runs his own garden and landscape design business, with an office in London, and contact details in Ireland also.

He has presented gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show on nine occasions from 1995 to 2016, winning a number of medals, including gold in 2011.

He has also authored or co-authored at least ten gardening-related books.

His first Chelsea garden, in 1995, was inspired by the coastal gardens of Noelle Campbell-Sharp at Canuig House in Ballinskelligs, County Kerry.

He discussed some of his garden concepts, and material sourcing, in his autobiographical volume.

Gavin won a bronze medal in 1995, and a silver-gilt medal in 2004.

He entered again in 1996.

The enterprise launched its website in 2005, but after a refresh, the site has displayed a holding page since 2013.

Gavin has designed many gardens in the UK and Ireland, and beyond, for commercial, public sector and private clients.

In interviews he has mentioned projects primarily in the UK and China, that his work primarily involves travel, and that he has never yet been to Ireland's national flower show, Bloom.

In particular the projects in China have tended to be large-scale and of long duration, involving a lot of time away from home, and limiting his work in Ireland and the UK.

In 2007, Gavin's Westland Garden, featuring recycled materials, also won a silver-gilt medal.

In May 2011 Gavin returned to Chelsea after a three-year gap, with his "Irish Sky Garden", which attracted funding of more than €1.7 million from Fáilte Ireland, the Irish tourism body, and was also supported by Cork City Council.

Gavin described the garden as inspired by the Oscar-winning animator Richie Baneham (who drove visual effects for Avatar), as well as by the "suspended table" novelty restaurant concept, and by the Midsummer Festival of the Senses at Cork, the landscapes of Capability Brown, Charles Jencks and the some Italian Renaissance figures.

The garden was built in an ovoid container suspended more than 25 metres above the ground.

Twenty-five reflecting and flowing pools on the ground showcased the garden, which could be visited by show-goers in groups of up to eight.

This garden won the gold medal at the show.

The Sky Garden attracted controversy when Cork City Council in Ireland agreed to put the garden on permanent display at Fitzgerald's Park in the Mardyke area of the city – at a cost of at least €300,000 to the cash-strapped council.

The decision attracted widespread criticism including that of a number of Cork city councillors with Councillor Ted Tynan pointed out that there were over 500 boarded up local council houses in the city and demanded clarification from the council as to what the exact cost of the garden would be.

In the end, the garden was not set up in its full form, but aspects of its design were used in a reworking of Fitzgerald's Park.

Gavin participated again in Chelsea, on the main avenue, in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

His 2016 garden, the British Eccentric's Garden, inspired by Heath Robinson and others, sponsored by Harrods, and planted with help from Helen Dillon and Carmel Duignan, won a silver gilt medal.

He described the complexity of the preparation of the garden, which combined classic garden elements, buildings and mechanical animation, and involved planning and preparation over a year, and around 150 people.

As of 2016, Gavin was offering a garden design service with Harrods of London.

He did not participate in the 2017 Chelsea Flower Show, nor those of 2018 and 2019.

Gavin has been a patron at Southport Flower Show and many others.

In 2018, Dunnes Stores, Ireland's largest retail operator, announced an arrangement with Gavin, to launch events and special retail facilities on George's Street in Dublin, later expanding.

By the end of 2019, Gavin has participated in the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show nine times, seven on the main avenue, the last having been 2016.

He became patron of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland in August, 2019.

He has run several fundraising events for the Cill Rialaig Artists’ Retreat.

Gavin has also participated in promotional work for Ireland's horticultural development board, Bord Glas, free of charge.