"I am honoured and delighted to accept the role as Champion for the International Year of Plant Health for the Europe Region. I look forward to working with you to promote this vitally important issue."
The Director-General of FAO , QU Dongyu has appointed Diarmuid Gavin, as an official Champion to promote the International Year of Plant Health throughout Europe.
Diarmuid is an Irish garden designer and television personality who has designed many gardens throughout Ireland and the UK, mainland Europe, Africa, and China. He has participated in the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show nine times - winning the gold medal in 2011.
As a broadcaster, Gavin presented gardening series for all the terrestrial broadcasters in the UK including Home Front, Planet Patio, Art of the Garden, Diarmuid’s Big Adventure, Gardens Through Time and Gardening Together.
He has authored 13 garden design books including the international best sellers Outdoors and Planting with the late Sir Terence Conran. His autobiographical volume, How the Boy Next Door Turned Out was published in 2010.
Diarmuid has participated in several tele-reality shows including BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, and cooked for the special Christmas edition of Come Dine with Me.
