One of Mark Thomas early roles in gardening was for an aged care facility where he first met his now wife. Mark would coordinate his gardening schedule so it would coincide with her nursing schedule and he would leave flowers outside the window of the room she was attending. He may be married a long time now, but his romantic streak is more alive than ever. You see Mark has another great love. His love for the land.
Image 1 and 2: Outdoor finish and stepper access - Designed by tutor, Mark Thomas.
Mark's affinity with the natural world is not just a love for his ecological and horticultural surroundings, but it’s an innate connection between himself and the earth. He describes how he can actually hear the ground move. The land is simply an extension of himself and everything and everyone is connected. He is passionate about sharing his sympatico with the land, which is perhaps why he became a tutor.
The road to teaching in the Australian Academy of Garden Design was not a straightforward path for Mark and he describes his road to education as the long route. He started out at a field study centre and various nurseries before completing his horticulture certificate and landscape design post certificate at TAFE NSW. He then undertook a bachelor of applied science in Environmental Horticulture with distinction at Charles Sturt University. The bachelors turned out to be an extended period of study as it coincided with starting a family and balancing a full time job including his own landscaping business. The somewhat protracted period in Uni never dissuaded Mark though, on the contrary, it served only to prove to him that he was in it for the love of the work and was now married to the land.
Image 1 and 2: Outdoor plants and letter box - Designed by tutor, Mark Thomas.
Down to business
While working outdoors and cultivating flora and fauna is Mark’s great love, he is acutely aware that horticulture and landscape design should be treated as a business and involves the same business acumen as any other commodity. One of his first serious horticulture jobs was in a large nursery in Sydney where he learned about business development. Mark learned how to take those skills and adapt and innovate to more niche areas. No matter the scale, they all require the same levels of expertise.
It was 2012 when Mark began further developing his own business and prioritising residential projects. He would do as much as he could himself, but each project inevitably involves a number of sub-contractors. Much of his knowledge comes from firsthand experience, and running a business as well as getting his hands dirty gave him a rounded and in-depth knowledge of the trade.
Image 1: Outdoor space - Designed by tutor, Mark Thomas.
Spreading the love
His work as a tutor began in the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney where he mentored new gardeners before going on to train prospective horticulturalists, landscapers and designers in TAFE. Today Mark is a tutor in the Australian Academy of Garden Design and describes how much he loves to both teach and learn from his students. Garden design attracts a diverse range of people from all walks of life in numerous stages in their lives. Mark has witnessed people burn-out in their fast-paced grind only to turn to horticulture. Many students have experienced improvements in their mental health and well-being from simply working with the land being outside nurturing plants. His adoration and respect for the earth lies largely in the fact that it doesn’t need people to survive, at all. But for Mark it’s more than simply feeling happier outdoors, he would like to see further exploration into the spiritual impact of gardening. His own spiritual connection to the land is born from an introspective response to his environment, and it’s something that fascinates him.
Image 1: Outdoor stairs - Designed by tutor, Mark Thomas.
Question everything
In Mark’s classroom, ideas are exchanged, and conversation is encouraged. He doesn’t stick to a script and enjoys the fluidity of ideas. He is a man of intuition and empathy and emboldens his students to question everything they think they know and to explore new approaches and theories. His broad scope in horticulture means he can guide a student without steering them. He has been around enough areas of horticulture to help his students find their own way. They discuss environmental issues and the only thing he asks of his students is for them to ask why?
As Mark continues to share his knowledge and wisdom, he, like any educator worth their salt, is also continuing to learn. Mark has seen horticulture evolve and is passionate about exploding myths and debunking outdated and questionable methods and practices. In his ideal world there are animals roaming wild and branches are slapping people in the face. There are no trimmed pathways and naked verges. Mark believes we should listen and connect to nature rather than manipulate it to our needs.
Wildlife needs to grow and to breathe and Mark believes humans do not entirely belong on the top of the food chain. While this may be a (typically Mark) romantic and humbling approach, it is something that Mark’s students are lucky to have because it is his truth, and it his passion. Mark does what he does for the love of it and to share that conviction with others, and if that’s not the person to learn from, then who is?