Press Release
“Bad Boy of Gardening” to dress Kew Gardens’ Christmas Tree
Royal Botanic Gardens announces Diarmuid Gavin as dresser of first celebrity Christmas tree
PHOTO-CALL: 12 noon Thursday 2nd December
Diarmuid Gavin will unveil and switch on the lights for Kew’s
first celebrity Christmas Tree
Please use Victoria Gate or Main Gate entrance and proceed to White
Peaks Gallery.
Note: Mrs. Gavin is expecting her first baby this week – so there is some chance of last-minute cancellation. Please call 020 8332 5602/19 for news on the morning.
Diarmuid Gavin, TV celebrity garden designer, recently seen strutting his stuff in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, is Kew’s ‘Mystery Guest’ at the Royal Botanic Gardens Christmas Festival. He will design the decorations for Kew’s first celebrity Christmas tree, to go on display in the White Peaks Gallery from 4 December until 3 January.
Diarmuid famously designed an ambitious and controversial prize-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. He will now apply his talents to dressing Kew’s first celebrity Christmas tree, dedicated to Alan Titchmarsh, a graduate of Kew’s School of Horticulture. Diarmuid and Alan presented BBC TV’s coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year, and developed a watchable, teasing and leg-pulling relationship.
The tree he has designed for Kew is dressed with handmade decorations created under high pressure by a team of volunteers. They include Alan Titchmarsh lanterns, cut-out decorations depicting Alan and other gardening celebrities, miniature versions of the ‘garden shed’ in which Alan writes his novels, and miniature screens showing Alan presenting his recent BBC series British Isles: A Natural History. The fairy atop the tree is a special tribute to Charlie Dimmock, in tiara and wellies.
The display forms part of a sparkling array of Christmas attractions at Kew Gardens. In addition to Diarmuid’s tree will be smaller ‘conservation-minded’ trees with decorations made from seeds and plants from the Gardens, and Santa’s Woodland Dell. A star attraction this Christmas is the first Kew ice rink, spectacularly sited in front of the historic Temperate House. There is also a Ferris wheel, fabulous laser light show across the pond to the Palm House, music, free carol concert, and late night openings with illuminated trees.
Notes for Editors:
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. 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. 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.
Diarmuid has presented several shows on the BBC, including Home Front
In The Garden, and Gardener of The Year.
For further Press information please contact:
|
Kew: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5607/5619 |
Wakehurst Place: Public Relations Tel: +44 (0)1444 894018 |
