Irish gardener Billy Alexander has won a gold medal at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show in London.
It is the third time he has been awarded a gold medal at the London event, having secured one in 2023 and 2021.
The former banker and Kerry native was awarded the prize this year for his fern collection.
Over 100 species of fern were featured throughout his display.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Alexander said he is elated to win a third gold medal.
“I worked very hard with my head gardener, Greg, for the last nine days,” he said.
“The stand is a bigger one than ever before, but when I came in at seven this morning to see the gold medal, it was all worthwhile.”
He said that the stand – Wilde Kells Bay – is 120 sq.m, four times the size of his first exhibition in 2018.
“I thought I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew earlier this week,” Mr Alexander said.
“But we got there in the end.”
“It’s a microcosm of Kells Bay Gardens. I’m standing here in the middle of it, in what is called the primeval forest, with a couple of bog pools below me and large tree ferns surrounding me, with a bed of sphagnum moss and woodland ferns all around me.”
Mr Alexander said the logistics of bringing the exhibition from Ireland to England were challenging.
He said he and his team loaded a 40ft container ten days ago and drove it to London, with all in the ferns in “fairly good health” after the 48-hour journey.
He said that winning a third gold medal is very fulfilling.
“It’s always a challenge, but this is a very nice place to come to. And of course – it’s good for business,” he added.
Kells Bay Gardens is situated on the Ring of Kerry and has one of the largest private fern collections in Europe.
The Chelsea Flower Show opens today to the public and will run until Saturday 24 May.