Even Diarmuid Gavin Made This Pruning Mistake — and It Cost Him a Plant He Loved

Diarmuid Gavin has opened up about the ‘devastating’ gardening mistake that still haunts him — pruning a favourite plant too hard and losing it altogether.

Even the most experienced gardeners get it wrong sometimes, and the award-winning designer admits one misstep still makes him wince.

Reflecting on the loss, he says: ‘The most recent – and still painful – was cutting back one of my favourite plants, Schefflera taiwaniana, far too hard and losing it altogether.’

Diarmuid ‘adored’ the umbrella plant, discovered in the jungles of Taiwan, and had nurtured it into thriving in his Wicklow garden — something he describes as ‘a small miracle’ given Ireland’s climate.

‘To lose [it] was devastating,’ he says.

Schefflera taiwaniana Taiwanese schefflera (syn. Heptapleurum taiwanianum)

Now 20% Off

Credit: Crocus

But the experience has not shaken one of Diarmuid’s core gardening beliefs — that trees, rather than flowers, are what make a garden truly special.

‘They give a garden structure, character, and a sense of permanence. It might be something modest, like a crab apple or a snowy Mespilus, or something grand, like a magnificent oak rising from a meadow. A silver birch in damp soil can be just as magical. Trees create the feeling that a garden has history and future at the same time,’ he explains.

Jack N. Mohr//Getty Images

Diarmuid believes it’s trees, not flowers, that give a garden its true structure and character. (Pictured: Schefflera Umbrella Tree)

Diarmuid is back on our TV screens in new BBC series, Greatest Gardens with Diarmuid Gavin and Carol Klein. The show follows the duo as they travel across Northern Ireland, visiting 15 home gardens of all shapes and sizes.

They meet homeowners who have transformed ordinary outdoor spaces into extraordinary sanctuaries, with celebrity guests from Prue Leith to Fred Sirieix joining along the way. The final shortlisted gardens will then compete to win the Greatest Garden title.

BBC NI / Waddell Media

Carol Klein and Diarmuid Gavin

‘Viewers can expect a delightful snoop into some truly wonderful gardens across Northern Ireland. It’s a chance to see what people love to grow, how they shape and arrange their spaces, and what makes each garden uniquely theirs,’ he says.

Reflecting on filming the six-part series, available to watch on BBC iPlayer and BBC Northern Ireland, Diarmuid says: ‘For me, it felt like standing on the shoulders of giants. Yes, the gardens were beautiful, but the real privilege was spending the summer exploring them with the extraordinary Carol Klein. Working alongside such a national treasure was, without question, the highlight.’

• Watch Greatest Gardens with Diarmuid Gavin and Carol Klein on BBC iPlayer

Follow House Beautiful on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest

The Garden EditHabitat Global 2-Seater Bamboo Garden Bistro SetCredit: ArgosBurgon & Ball Scalloped Indoor Watering CanCredit: AmazonNatural Scalloped Rattan Outdoor Solar Floor LampCredit: NextMarcy 2-Seater Sling Garden Sofa, GreigeCredit: John LewisScalloped Edge Smooth Fibre Clay Plant PotCredit: DunelmDibor Dining Chair Seat Pad SetCredit: Amazon