For amateur and armchair horticulturalists (and social butterflies), this week has been in the diary for a whole year. Traditionally RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place in London, heralding the start of the summer social season, but for the first time in its history a virtual celebration of all things floral has taken place. No less interesting, it has provided inspiration and brought back memories of some epic garden designs – including those of Diarmuid Gavin. He has participated a record nine times at Chelsea, seven of which were on the main avenue, where the show gardens provide the focal point for international visitors. The significance of these show gardens (such as Gavin’s Garden in the Sky) cannot be underestimated. They influence how gardens are designed now and in the future. Something Agata Byrne knows all too well.

The Dublin-based landscape architect has also participated at RHS Chelsea, working for four renowned designers. “For the past five years I’ve been involved in planting show gardens for Fernando Gonzalez (2015), Andy Sturgeon (2016), James Basson (2017), Sarah Price (2018) and last year (2019) again for Andy Sturgeon,” Byrne tells me. Indeed both Andy Sturgeon’s gardens in 2016 and 2019 as well as James Basson’s, won “Best in Show” – the equivalent of an Oscar. “I’ve been extremely lucky to experience it already three times,” says Byrne, who dreams one day of showing on main avenue herself, sponsorship permitting. I am sure it will happen, given Byrne’s passion for plants which has been cultivated since childhood in tandem with her determination to excel, often when the odds have been stacked against her.

Byrne describes her childhood spent pottering on her parents’ allotment or at her grandparent’s farm in Poland. “My granny and my mum always had some fresh cut flowers from the garden at home. Lilacs, peony roses, irises, sword lilies, pot marigolds, zinnias or dahlias. The list is long. Not to mention indoor plants. I learned a lot from my parents and grandparents about plants. Through their way of living they also taught me the value of respect for nature.”

Byrne relocated to Dublin in 2006 armed with a First Class Masters degree in landscape architecture, though she was unable to work in this area initially. Her first priority was to polish her English language skills (working as a florist and waitress) before launching her career in garden design via RTÉ’s Super Garden competition. “Even though I didn’t win, I loved the challenge. Despite deep recession, this led me to set up my own garden design practice.” She was delighted to be asked by Pat and Dermot Desmond to redesign and replant the garden of their Dublin home, which confirmed Byrne’s enjoyment of working on high-end designs with mature specimen trees and shrubs.

Her first visit to Chelsea Flower Show in 2009 was also significant, where she was able to see first-hand the elegant garden of Italian designer Luciano’s Giubbilei. “I was absolutely blown away by his design approach, controlled composition and understated elegance. It was at this exact moment I knew I wanted to learn how to design gardens at Luciano’s level and improve my own skills further.” Byrne discovered Giubbilei had graduated from the prestigious Inchbald School of Design in London and looked into the application process. The initial cost of the course was prohibitive but did not deter her – it took a further five years before she relocated to London with her husband (the artist Gerard Byrne) to enrol in the full-time course. She completed it with honours a year later and was subsequently offered a landscape architect position in Andy Sturgeon’s office. In tandem with this role, Byrne was asked to be a studio tutor at Inchbald for two years and is currently sharing her knowledge in a series of online lectures on planting design with students of Inchbald Seoul.

Byrne is magnanimous about Inchbald, which is celebrating 60 years and counts Nina Campbell and Kelly Hoppen as other famous graduates. “The Inchbald taught me the language of design, it has given me confidence and knowledge of what the client is expecting and the complete delivery of the project in a professional manner.”

Reminiscing about the build-up to Chelsea and creating show gardens, Byrne relates how she worked in a planting team for Crocus, one of the main contractors for main avenue gardens. She describes intense, physical work necessitating long days in all weather, to ensure that each plant is perfect. “Dead leaves or broken stems are removed,” explains Byrne, “however this is becoming less frequent in recent years as naturalistic gardens become more fashionable.” Everyone on the team is concentrated on the common goal – a gold medal – working at top speed and prepared for every eventuality. “Don’t forget it’s a building site,” she says, “We’re all wearing steel-capped boots and high vis vests. Pretty flowery dresses, straw hats, linen suits and glasses of bubbly start appearing only from a press day [Monday] and judging day [Tuesday].” It’s only on Tuesday that teams finally get time to admire the garden as a full picture – until that point it is in sketch form. “The moment it’s revealed the garden has won a gold medal it’s like dropping 100kg off your shoulders. It’s so emotional. There’s always plenty of hugs and happy tears. And of course some champagne to celebrate.”

Agata with designer Andy Sturgeon and his team who won Gold at Chelsea in 2019 for his M&G Garden, photo by Rebekah Kennington

Now living in Ranelagh, Dublin having relocated from London two years ago, Byrne has sadly neither a front nor a back garden, though she proudly mentions their former home in Dalkey which has won a couple of awards for the garden Byrne initially planted. “At the moment looking after my indoor plants and a couple of planters outside has to keep me satisfied. My current composition of exotic plants complementing my husband’s botanical painting from Singapore gets quite a lot of attention in the gallery window from passersby.” You’ll never find faux flowers in the Byrne household and during lockdown the lush greenery has been more important than ever. “My indoor plants have brought a lot of joy to my life. It was so fascinating to observe the recent birth of a young Monstera deliciosa leaf. Truly spectacular!”

Currently she is developing the living and working space of The Gerard Byrne Studio. “Hopefully someday in the near future visitors will also be able to visit my rooftop garden as part of their visual and sensory experience.” It’s bound to be impressive. www.gerardbyrneartist.com