The Gaynors from Bagnelstown, Co. Carlow want a garden and set Diarmuid a budget of €100,000.
Mary and Pat Gaynor moved from Dublin to Carlow 9 years ago along with their two children Arron & Kate (both in their twenties). The family business is in the distribution of industrial paint and is located on the grounds of the site / home.
What they want from their garden:
The family asked Diarmuid to focus on an area of half an acre adjacent to the house.
They think that the garden lacks elevation, a screening from the motorway (Dublin/Kilkenny Road) and would like a room outside to relax in. They requested something to break up the size of the garden and an area where they could have a BBQ or enjoy breakfast in.
Diarmuid’s Initial Reaction:
“Driving out of Dublin down through Kildare and onto Carlow, you are gently seduced by a magical undulating landscape. The dominant colour is green. This is the colour of our native landscape. The hills that surround you are almost from fairytales. There is nothing confrontational, it’s all gentle.”
The Site:
“The house is an island in a field. At the moment there is also an industrial unit and a driveway and sporadic elements that have become projects. In the background there’s a motorway which is clearly visible. The garden lacks a feeling of enclosure. It lacks coherency, the dots haven’t been joined up. This will be the real secret.”
Diarmuid’s Plan:
“What we are lacking in Pat and Mary’s garden is magic. I want to create a statement….bringing soul to this location…. Using the simplest of materials. Landscaping. Land shaping. Mounding. Appreciating beauty at its best. Exploring the relationship between the human form and the land. Imagine a figure…… a giant….but a beautiful one. She has been walking through the landscape. She has travelled, possibly from Dublin. She picks her way through fields and forest, steps over rivers and leaves mountains in her shade. She is tired, she lies down…she belongs here.”
The Inspiration:
In order to create this garden Diarmuid needed a model to pose – a woman that would have perfect proportions – he felt that Jerry Hall was the obvious choice. Jerry was delighted at the prospect of a garden being designed around her and was happy to pose.
Budget: €100,000