I think really anyone who grows a plant like this is marginally crazy. But it is monumental as the second view shows in late summer. In the fall Gunnera is attacked by the deer that are in rut since the stems have large spikes that remove antler velvet rather easily so that the bucks can be more fierce. By fall the Gunnera is rapidly declining for the year and will need the three feet of leaf compost for the winter.
The plant as you can see is large, coarse, spectacular, tropical and in your face. It's probably a man's plant.