WHISPER it quietly but Diarmuid Gavin, the maverick Irish gardener, may be mellowing. The man known for his outrageous garden designs using huge steel balls, large structures and space age paraphernalia is thinking of "going back".

"There's a trend in gardening today of returning to doing things the old fashioned way," he said between signing autographs at Malvern Spring Gardening Show.

"This is especially demonstrated by Chris Beardshaw's lovely Victorian bothy garden here.

"There is a return to herbaceous planting and what better part of the world to showcase it than Malvern.

"We are surrounded by wonderful traditional countryside that harps back to the country's glorious past.

"Someone told me the other day when they were looking through my garden designs that they thought I might be mellowing, but I think there is still a place for adventurous schemes - otherwise everything would just stand still."

Diarmuid is currently working on new gardens across the world, from Dubai to Durban in South Africa, but still finds time for his new passion - horse riding.

Following his appearance in the TV series Only Fools On Horses he has become a keen equestrian and is currently working on a series in Ireland in which young urban cowboys' who ride bareback on horses kept on the city waste grounds are taught riding skills with the aim of competing at Dublin horse show in August.

A friend has promised to take me drag hunting as well," he added. "So you may never see me again."

click on link at bottom of page to see Spring Gardening Show gallery