Rochester-based specialist Shotcrete has built the spherical concrete pods for TV presenter Diarmuid Gavin’s ideal garden design, to be showcased at the Chelsea Flower Show next week.

Shotcrete won the contract to build the fabricated concrete pods following an appeal by Gavin in Building last month (11 March, pages 30-32). Gavin said in an interview that he could not find a company that could make the pods.

Hester Leneghan, project co-ordinator for Diarmuid Gavin Designs, said: “We had a great response from a lot of people. Shotcrete is just putting the finishing touches to the pods.”

Work on the six pods, which cost £10,000-12,000, started four weeks ago. They are scattered through the prototype garden and can house garden benches or even workrooms, providing privacy for people in shared gardens.

The pods are made out of pre-bent rings coiled together, with a fine mesh wrapped around them.

White sprayed concrete was applied either side of the mesh, to form an 80-90 mm thick skin.