THE MODERN MINT BLOG
We went to see Dan Pearson and Fergus Garrett speak at the Gardens Illustrated talk last week.
Dan spoke about his gardening mentors, the Garden Bridge project for London and his current addiction for Epimediums… his work has evolved over the years – though always remained rooted in the nature of the place itself – he spoke of how his planting palette was changing and the gardens he makes looser and closer in feel to a natural space.
Doesn’t that sound fantastic?
The list he gives below is a useful starting point for anyone needing some gardening inspiration, originally shared in a Gardens Illustrated article…
My own love in the garden is for topiary, but topiary only works in all its glory when you add other plants around it. Some of these annuals, adding colourful contrast to the strength and rooted feel of a group of yew or boxwood topiaries would be a brilliant way to make a garden.
As well as reading on below, do also check out this review of Dan Pearson’s excellent book ‘Spirit’.
Annuals
Ammi majus – the flower growers best friend… I have seen it replaced in a bouquet with the slightly more robust, less elegant flower of ground elder…. yes, seriously!
Eschscholzia californica
Linum grandiflorum ‘Rubrum’
Nicotiana suaveolens
Nigella papillosa ‘African Bride’
Papaver Somniferum ‘Single Black’
Silene armeria ‘Electra’
Bulbs
Crocus tommasinianus – if squirrels are stealing your crocus bulbs, dip them in a paste of cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce first, before planting. That should put them off!
Cyclamen hederifolium f. albiflorum ‘Album’
Erythronium dens-canis
Galanthus ‘Magnet’
Gladiolus ‘Ruby’
Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’
Lilium ‘Claude Shride’
Narcissus ‘Pipit’
Nerine bowdenii
Tulipa sprengeri
Climbers
Akebia longeracemosa
Hedera pastuchovii ‘Ann Ala’
Jasminum officinale ‘Devon Cream’
Parthenocissus henryana
Rosa ‘Cooperi’
Schizophragma integrifolium
Read Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4.
Recommended Reading:
10 Years Of Modern Mint
On Valentine’s day this year (2024) Modern Mint, the company I started when I moved to Essex to explore a fresh, contemporary approach to gardening, will be 10 years old. The cliche is time flies… but it does! So much has happened in a decade, from studying topiary with Charlotte Molesworth, to clipping all over the UK (and eventually in the USA and Sweden) to selling shears and secateurs at garden shows and hiding away my reticence to give talks about gardening and topiary to Horticultural Societies across the UK. Ten years feels a good time to mark a new …
Garden Masterclass Trailer – The Modern Topiarist
In 2022 I did a free video for Garden Masterclass, the Annie Guilfoyle and Noel Kingsley run website that is a treasure trove of the great and good of the horticultural world – well worth looking through all the wonderful talks they have available, like meadow-maker James Hitchmough or nurserywoman Rosy Hardy. They are certainly inspirational! Perfect for watching and dreaming up new ideas during the winter months… As a follow-up to my Topiary Provocations video (which you can see on Youtube for free) I was asked to do a video for their Masterclass series on how to make topiary. …
Charlotte Molesworth’s Garden In The FT
The lovely garden of my mentor Charlotte Molesworth is featured here in the Financial Times in the last week or so… She has been interviewed lots of times but I thought this was a particularly great piece, with some photos done at unusual angles and different parts… so well worth a read. For more on topiary by Charlotte Molesworth…