Patthana - An Artist's Garden

Last summer, amid the gentle hush of the Irish countryside, I was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon at Patthana Garden — a place unlike any other, where art and horticulture entwine in the most exquisite way. Invited not only to explore the garden under the guidance of its creator, TJ Maher, but also to share a quiet lunch prepared with care by his husband, Simon, I found myself immersed in a world that felt both personal and profoundly beautiful.

The garden itself — intimate, layered, painterly — unfolds like a living canvas, each corner a vignette, each path a slow reveal. It is a space not just planted, but composed: a testament to the emotional power of gardens when shaped by a true artist’s hand.

With hindsight, I realise just how rare and generous the day was — not only the setting, but the conversation, the hospitality, the stillness. Patthana remains my favourite garden in Ireland and I often let my mind drift back to that day.

We were scheduled to arrive at Patthana for lunch, but the morning brought heavy rain and grey skies. Cold, wet, and a bit disheartened, we couldn't help but feel that the weather might put a damper on our visit.

Nothing quite prepares you for Patthana—just an unassuming street sign and a distinctive tall metal gate. As we stepped through into the Courtyard, TJ greeted us with a warm Irish welcome and a smile. Within moments, we were seated with friends, old and new, enjoying a delicious lunch. To our delight, sunlight began to filter in, and the rain clouds slowly drifted away.

Even in the Courtyard, the garden burst with colour—bold, bright, and beautifully contrasting. Terracotta pots overflowed with life, each plant seemingly chosen with care. But one stopped me in my tracks: Abutilon 'Red Tiger', its vivid orange, lantern-like blooms dripping with raindrops from the morning showers. It was dazzling—delicate yet striking. I fell in love with it on the spot and now have one of my own at home, a living reminder of that unforgettable summer day at Patthana.

Patthana begins at the Courtyard, a compact yet richly layered space beside the house. Grey stone walls provide a calm, architectural backdrop to a tapestry of potted plants—an eclectic and well-tended collection that brings colour and texture through the seasons. A small stone pond anchors the space, not only visually but ecologically. Planted with care and restraint, it offers structure and softness in equal measure, while gently sloping edges allow easy access for birds and insects. Nearby, a modest potting shed adds a note of charm and purpose. Every element here feels deliberate, designed to blur the boundaries between cultivated space and natural habitat.

Height is confidently used throughout the Courtyard, giving the space a lovely sense of structure and rhythm. Climbing plants—picked not just for their leaves but for their shapes—are carefully trained to gently separate the potting shed from the pond, adding a delightful touch of surprise. There’s a real charm in the handcrafted iron railings that curve gracefully around the steep stone steps leading up to the Inner Garden. Their elegant lines draw your eye upward, while colourful, textured pots placed along the way soften the climb. Together, they offer a gentle invitation, guiding you forward as little glimpses of the next garden space begin to reveal themselves.

Originally, Patthana was made up of just two distinct spaces: the Courtyard and the Inner Garden. Over the years, TJ poured care and creativity into shaping them into peaceful, secluded retreats. With layered planting, thoughtfully placed trees, and gentle fencing, he carefully screened out neighbouring houses—not to shut the world out, but to draw visitors into a space that feels completely removed from everyday life. The result is a garden full of calm and quiet beauty—a green, embracing world that feels miles away, even though it’s just steps from the village street.

In the Inner Garden, generous borders overflow with planting chosen for their colour harmony and year-round appeal. TJ’s eye for form and structure shines through, with layers of perennials, shrubs, and small trees adding texture and rhythm. As the garden evolved and space became tight, island beds were introduced into the lawn—an inspired way to create more room for planting. Curved paving stones weave gently between them, protecting the grass while guiding the eye through the space. From certain angles, these beds seem to merge with the surrounding borders, creating a beautiful illusion of depth and scale that makes the garden feel much larger than it really is.

Colour is used with confidence at Patthana, guided by TJ’s training as an artist. Contrasting and complementary tones are placed with a painter’s instinct, creating vibrant yet balanced combinations. He’s unafraid to edit, even cutting back plants in full flower if they disrupt the overall composition—a boldness that brings clarity and cohesion to the planting.

TJ often moves flower stems from one part of the garden to another, placing them temporarily to test new combinations. It’s a simple, effective way to judge how a plant will work in a different setting—and a useful technique to adopt in your own garden, offering instant insight before making any permanent changes.

One unexpected combination that works beautifully is the soft purple-pink of Valeriana officinalis paired with the bold orange of Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’. It’s a striking contrast, yet it doesn't clash. The subtle tones are gently anchored by the warm hues of a nearby wooden building and the textured bark of a tree close by—proof that context, as much as colour, makes a planting work.

It looks so natural and works perfectly, but this is very careful curation by TJ behind the scenes. He isn't afraid to experiment with plants, colour and form.

For me, a garden is really about the plants and the design. Too often, though, gardens end up feeling cluttered with sculptures and statues. Patthana is different. There’s just a small amount of metalwork here, and it’s so subtle and thoughtfully placed that it blends in beautifully with the space—never distracting from the garden itself.

I loved the intricate, artistic metal holders placed beside a wooden bench—perfect for setting down a drink while you pause and take in the garden. Subtly echoing the metalwork on the Courtyard Steps, they were discreetly tucked in among the ferns, easy to miss if you weren’t really looking. A small detail, but such a thoughtful one.

Until fairly recently, the garden ended just beyond the boundary of the Inner Garden, with a farmer’s field stretching out beyond. But in the last few years, TJ and Simon had the chance to purchase that land, and the garden has since expanded to include the newly designed Torque Garden, as well as a Meadow and Pond.

These new areas are tucked out of sight, connected to the Inner Garden by a softly planted, leafy woodland path. Stonework here mirrors that of the house, echoing the character of the Courtyard and creating a seamless transition. There’s a calm, almost meditative atmosphere in this space—an inviting pause before the garden opens out again.

The Torque Garden has a strong prairie-style feel, with a winding path that guides you through the space, allowing you to see the borders from all angles and get up close to the plants—so close that you feel almost immersed in them.

About halfway along the path, you come to a secluded gravel seating area with loungers and a fire pit. It’s completely tucked away within the planting, offering a real sense of privacy, and yet it still feels open and airy. The seating is wrapped in greenery, creating a sense of calm and gentle protection—a peaceful spot to pause and just be.

As you leave the Torque Garden, the space opens up and a grass pathway leads you into a wildflower meadow. To the right, a row of trees gently frames the view, while to the left, sculpted earth banks cleverly screen the garden from the buildings beyond. At the same time, they subtly echo the curves and contours of the surrounding hills and distant mountains, creating a beautiful sense of harmony with the wider landscape.

Even in this more open part of the garden, the planting is lush and abundant, spilling out of the borders and drawing the eye. If you’re lucky, you might catch sight of insects and butterflies flitting between blooms in search of nectar. The whole area hums with life, filled with striking plants like the beautiful Verbena bonariensis, which seems to self-seed freely throughout this extended part of the garden.

Beyond the meadow, a striking borrowed view comes into focus—the local church, towering above the garden and naturally drawing your eye. TJ has thoughtfully placed a beautiful metal bench here, its wide arches echoing the church’s own architectural curves. It feels like wherever you stand in the garden, there’s always a plant or feature that adds something special to the view. Here, I spotted a tall, dramatic Teasel plant that stood proudly above me, marking both the beginning and the end of the meadow in a bold and beautiful way.

As we walked back toward the house, the garden continued to surprise and delight. Through the Hawthorn trees—originally marking the boundaries of the Inner Garden—there’s a breathtaking view stretching out to the stunning landscape beyond. The wooden fencing quietly fades away, drawing your eye instead to the gnarled, magnificent tree roots close by and the rolling hills in the distance, bursting with vibrant color.

The garden is truly spectacular. It feels like an artist’s ongoing masterpiece—not painted with brushes, but crafted with plants. At times, it literally took my breath away. The design and plant combinations are beautiful, and I hope that one day soon, I’ll be lucky enough to return to Patthana—a garden that is not only stunning but full of feeling and meaning, a rare and special combination.

Guineveres Garden | Garden Writer