DIARMUID GAVIN’S controversial sky garden stayed firmly on earth this morning as the Chelsea Flower Show opened for selected guests including the Queen.
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Winds of over 20mph at the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea mean that the TV gardener’s showpiece pod garden, inspired by the film Avatar, can’t be risked a lift from its crane.
The forecast is for more windy days ahead, so there is a chance that Gavin’s Irish Sky Garden won’t ever rise to its intended heights.
Gavin isn’t that worried as he says the pod is for demonstration purposes and would have spent most of the time at ground level anyway, wind or no wind.
“My idea was only ever to explore the idea of a garden in the sky,” he said.
But height is still one of the themes at this year’s show, with vertical gardens, garden walls and waterfalls all suggesting ways urbanites can add to their available garden space. The one from B&Q stands a mighty six stories tall.
“Designers have been in a competition to see who can get the highest,” said Bob Sweet of the Royal Horticultural Society, which runs the Chelsea Flower Show.
Unsurprisingly, the reach for the sky approach is not appreciated by everyone.
“Please could we for a year go back to a spade and wheelbarrow gardening?” said gardening guru Peter Seabroook.
The Chelsea Flower Show runs until Saturday 28 May, but all tickets have already been sold out.