PLAYING TO THE GALLERY

This artist's garden is a stunning composition of colour and form, envisaged in a series of distinct rooms that draw you in to explore and enjoy the outside space

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The artist's touch is clear for all to see at Patthana Garden. Deep, rich colours sing out against myriad green foils, with burgundies, purples, burnt oranges and golds flowing through the scene. TJ Maher has the innate ability to place colour, form and texture together, as on a canvas, but beyond that is a plantsman's knowledge honed over the years and a deep respect for nature founded on Buddhist beliefs. These three elements make for a unique and personal garden that is a haven for TJ and his partner Simon Kirby, who have lived here for 28 years, but also for wildlife.

'Ever since I was a small boy, I have been immersed in the natural world, spending most of my younger years outdoors,' TJ explains. After training as an artist at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, he became a working artist and is represented by the Taylor Galleries in Dublin. Having lived in apartments in Dublin for over 15 years, when TJ and Simon moved to Patthana in 1996, located in the village of Kiltegan in County Wicklow, TJ's creativity became focused on making their first garden, which he knew from the outset would not be dictated by trends. 'Being an artist means I see the garden as a series of compositions of various spaces. I use colour, texture and form to create atmosphere, carefully blending elements to create a garden which feels right to me,' he says.