The gardening expert has worked for some of the world’s most famous people, including King Charles, but it was his work with an Irish journalist that changed his life
Diarmuid Gavin with wife Justine and daughter Eppie(Image: Collins)
Diarmuid Gavin first met his wife Justine when he was gardening for her famous mother.
The garden designer is marking 30 years of marriage with his wife this year and their love story began with a high profile job of his.
Justine is the daughter of Terry Keane, who was a very well-known social columnist for the Sunday Independent and wrote the long-running feature The Keane Edge.
Diarmuid was hired by Terry to transform her garden and it was on his job that he met Justine.
The television presenter appeared on Living with Lucy and shared their sweet love story.
He reflected on how magical it was to be able to come home to Justine after his work blew up, as she was used to dealing with fame through her own mum.
Diarmuid shared: “To be able to come home and say, ‘Right [me and Justine] have a little baby now.’ Justine was that solid rock.
“She never believed in any of it and was never amused by the whole thing. In a way, she’d seen all that with her own mum and isn’t interested.
“But she kind of also loves that it’s our story, when the gardener who came along to do her mum’s garden, then we have this adventure, we get to travel, meet people and see things for what they are.”
Diarmuid was hired by Terry to carry out the work of fellow prominent garden designer Helen Dillon.
He explained: “I wasn’t allowed to design it. Helen Dillon designed it on the back of a packet of cigarettes at a party. [She said], ‘Terry this is what you need to do’.
“I was hired to implement it because I had just won a medal at the RDS.”
Terry was a very special person, according to Diarmuid, with her showing great care for people.
Recalling a touching story from before Terry passed away, he shared: “She was utterly brilliant.
“She was a well-known journalist, gossip columnist and fashion writer, but I tell you, she wasn’t only that.
“Years later all this happens to me [his success] and she thinks what happens to me in England is absolutely hilarious. She would come over and meet all the people I was meeting.
“She rang me one day and said, ‘Diarmuid, I’m worried. I’m in the house, I’m on my own and I think somebody is living in the shed.’
“I arranged that a friend of mine would call down and he did the following day. The two of them went down to the shed, which was right up against the house, and indeed there were all the signs that somebody homeless was living in the shed.”
Diarmuid’s friend asked if she wanted him to clear out the shed and put locks on it, but she replied: “No, if he needs the shed, he needs the shed.”
She also decided to get him food and popped down to Dunnes to ensure there was something for the person to eat.
“She was unreal, naughty, brilliant, dangerous, mad, creative and the stuff that would happen,” Diarmuid confessed.
“I was digging the garden and Buzz Aldrin, the man that had been on the moon, walked past going to dinner.”
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