T.J. Maher - artist, gardener and Buddhist, he lives in Ireland, Wicklow I think. His garden is based around colour and I found him on F/B a few weeks back. He is obviously in love with the growing of plants blending their colours together. He says in the video that he loves the animals and insects that are attracted to his garden. And only yesterday I heard that it is our gardens with their mélange of plant life that is the most popular with our insects and birds.
I lost the text of what I was writing, on a hunt for Claude Monet's painting of Irises at Giverny, but he was the only one I could come up with.
Joy in life and of course the 'now' of life is expressed in the word Maher chose to call his garden Patthana and I notice he offers a retreat this summer.
That is lovely, Thelma. I'm just trying to get the weeds out of my garden. I wonder if he has gardeners who take care of it all for him or if he does the work himself.
ReplyDeleteOh Ellen, I was just writing about him, then lost all the words. But he is an artist, gardener and a Buddhist, also has a husband who helps so I am sure he is the main gardener. It is a glorious garden and his use of colour is wonderful. Had been looking at Claude Monet's paintings of his garden at Giverny when I lost the words.
DeleteI remember this gardener from GW, what a wonderful philosophy TJ has which manifests in the beauty of his garden. I imagine hidden beneath those gorgeous billowing borders there are more than a few ‘weeds’ lurking but what the eye doesn’t see … I am currently adoring the blown dandelion seedheads in my garden and meadow that now look like silver stars. My garden is adjacent to a natural perennial wildflower meadow made by me over the last six years so there will always be plenty of weeds in my garden but also plenty of insects and birds and toads and other animals. On this morning’s walk around the meadow in the sunshine the ox-eye daisies were popping open and there are lots of patches of sky blue speedwell and magenta pink vetch - all nature”s work. I hosted book group last night and when everyone was leaving I went outside to say goodbye and close the gates and was transfixed by moths, bats, chafer beetles and the starry night sky, the beauty of which filled my soul. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah, TJ seems to love the dark reds and associated colours was my first thought when I looked at his garden. But he has a simple philosophy and is happy, what more could one ask from life.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame you do not have a blog, they are away of recording a garden and your meadow of course. I miss such flower as the ox-eye daisies and meadowsweet in its time. We live in a steep sided valley full of trees and there seems less wild flowers.