THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Seasonal Food July
What is the seasonal food of July? What are the farmers and growers currently harvesting for our plates?
(Please note there are a few adverts on this page – why? Because we like the companies, they produce great food, and we want to encourage you to support their work – fuelling your body with the best food you can is important. As they say, it is better to pay the greengrocer than the doctor!)
Some pretty delicious stuff actually – this is the best of the British season and if it is locally grown and organic, you will hardly need to cook it (yesterday, from Riverford Organic, we got broad beans. They are already gone!)
Vegetables in season in July…
Samphire (get in quick with this one!)
Globe artichokes
Broad Beans
New Potatoes
Asparagus (though not for much longer! And the taste is so different to last month during the first week of harvesting…)
Wet garlic
Spinach
Runner beans
Nettles (use the young leaves, not the older ones… so cut a patch down if you have to and wait for them to resprout)
Lettuce
Radish
Elderflower (for champagne or cordial, of course)
Carrots
Cucumbers
French beans
Sugarsnap peas
Watercress
A number of herbs (for example basil, fennel and mint… don’t be mean when you cook, use a big handful!)
Fruit in season in July…
Gooseberries
Cherries
Blackcurrants
Redcurrants
Raspberries
Strawberries (for Wimbledon. Raspberries are just as good though!)
We hope you grow at least some vegetables, herbs or fruit in your garden (or on your balcony, or wherever…)
If we could recommend one plant to start with? Rosemary. It looks after itself, smells amazing and you can harvest it for cooking with or using in flower arrangements. Perfect.
For more on how to eat seasonably (and the taste benefits are enormous) you need to read these…
Michael Gibson, New York Topiary Art!
In the New York Times earlier this year was a lovely interview with Michael Gibson, who makes topiary and gardens in New York. The article is here but you may not have access… however, search the internet, find it and have a read. It is great! His philosophy of pruning is especially worth it… Sacred geometry in topiary? Yes please! What a phrase! I think (and speak) of balance, of major and minor, of leaf volume… but sacred geometry might well make it into my topiary teaching lexicon! And the idea of directional trimming? I realise I do this, but …
Topiary Library
I do a lot of teaching topiary. I had the opportunity from my mentor, Charlotte Molesworth, to work on her garden and experiment and test techniques and generally try making shapes without the worry of failure, or being fired, or being sued and run out of business for getting it wrong. This opportunity was essential (along with Charlotte’s insistance that pruning standards had to be high!) in becoming better at topiary. When I look around the world at our cultural vitamins, what we see in the media day in and day out, I see the stupidest and grossest of people …
Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue
With Chris Poole of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society we visited Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue in Rutland. Do you know it? Amazing place! Chris and I were teaching a topiary workshop in order to give local people the skills and technique, and tenacity! to help with the pruning of the avenue and elevate it to something even more special than it already is. Read more about the workshops here. We hope to run a further workshop in September 2026, as well as teach an advanced course too. Check the teaching page through the year as it will be updated …