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Originally from
Dublin, Diarmuid studied at the College of Amenity
Horticulture in Glasnevin. Following this, he established
his own school of garden design, culminating in the Dublin
School of Garden Design. |
| Diarmuid has a
very distinctive gardening style. His designs are
uncompromising, functional, but startling. For some people,
they are too weird and outrageous, but they do show how
certain looks can be achieved in small places. |
| His work has
earned him several awards including the RDS Gold Award in 1991
and 1993 and a Bronze Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in
1995. |
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He says:
"The gardens we make are akin to some of the more
outrageous outfits worn by models on catwalks. Some are there
to provoke ideas, thoughts and reactions, but not necessarily
to copy."
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Diarmuid
reckons he's designed about 300 gardens since 1988.
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"At
the moment I average about 20 gardens a year, that's
quite a lot for a single gardener. I love the
challenge," he says.
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One of his
favourites is the dramatic shark's fin garden design.
Produced for the second series of Home Front, it broke
new ground for the programme and Diarmuid. It really
caught the public's attention. His gardens draw on a
wide range of influences from the work of other
designers, such as Roberto Burle Marx, to functional
objects, such as sardine cans and oil rigs.
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The most
important thing to Diarmuid in his garden makeovers is the
owner's commitment to the plants. He says: "I want people
to understand what we do and how we do it. We want the gardens
to go on after we've left."
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Despite
Diarmuid's flamboyant designs, his own garden is fairly
subdued, with an elegant and rectangular lawn.
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