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Dublin: 10 °C Saturday 25 May, 2013

Diarmuid Gavin takes gold at Chelsea Flower Show

The Irish gardener’s suspended ‘Sky Garden’ is one of 13 gardens to take top prizes at the world-famous gardening show.

AN EXHIBIT BY Irish celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin has taken a top prize at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

The ‘Irish Sky Garden’, sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Cork City Council, is suspended 82 feet in the air and contains 25 pools as well as grasses, photinias and bamboos.

The eye-shaped garden is said to be inspired by Dublin animator Richie Baneham, whose visual affects for James Cameron’s blockbuster 3D movie Avatar were channelled into the design.

The gold medal is Gavin’s fourth award at Chelsea; he won a bronze medal in 1995 and silver-gilt medals in 2004 and 2007.

Gavin told this morning’s Irish Times that he had met Queen Elizabeth during her tour of the show yesterday, and that the monarch had told him she had a “brilliant” time on her four-day trip to Ireland last week.

13 gardens in total were given gold medals, with the Daily Telegraph garden designed by Cleve West named Best in Show of the 600 entries.

Diarmuid Gavin takes gold at Chelsea Flower Show
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  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    A garden designed by South Korea's Jihae Hwang titled Hae-woo-so, which features a toilet as its centre piece, at the Chelsea Flower Show.
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    Gardeners work on a structure in the Tourism Malaysia Garden in preparation for the Chelsea Flower Show.
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    Garden designer Luciano Giubbilei works on the Laurent-Perrier Garden.
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    A photographer standing on a ladder takes a photo of the Daily Telegraph Garden - winner of the Best in Show prize.
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    Gwyneth Paltrow in the B&Q Garden, the tallest edible garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    Gardeners work on the Irish Sky Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2011 - gold medallists

    Monaco's Prince Albert II poses at the Monaco Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The world-famous show opens to the public today.

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