THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Logs – Modern Mint
Autumn is arriving and nights are getting colder, so we need to start thinking about logs for the fire.
Why you should use logs from Modern Mint…
The logs we offer are guaranteed to have been seasoned for 1 year, with a low moisture content.
All logs are sourced from the UK – Essex, South London, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire.
Buying logs from Modern Mint (and so from the UK) helps support work in native woodlands.
What are the best logs to use for your fire?
In the words of ‘Woodsman’ Ben Law, you need to:
“Mainly use birch for firewood. It burns hot and bright, and, when mixed with a slower-burning wood, it creates a good fire. I use birch bark for fire-lighting. It remains by far the best of all fire-starters…”
Here you can read more about Ben Law and his woods… while a more in-depth study of the different firewood to use to keep warm with can be found here at a post we wrote called ‘Best Logs for a Woodfire.’
Modern Topiary, the Book, at Garden Media Guild
My book about topiary, Modern Topiary, has been mentioned on the Garden Media Guild newsletter…. As the screenshot says, the book can be read for free online here. At the bottom of the screenshot, it looks like another Garden Media Guild member has a book out called ‘A Year In A Cottage Garden’…. so if that is where your garden heart lies, check that out too! And at the top of the screenshot, it looks like I was listening to Pelleas et Melisande, by Debussy. What a classy chap I am, listening to classical music as I reply to emails. …
Start of the Whitby Topiary Library
I have been offered a space here in the centre of Whitby, south-facing aspect, with some raised beds in, so that I can make a Topiary Library. In my head, a topiary library is a place to showcase the common (and then not so common) shapes you can make out of topiary. With classical topiary plants, as well as some more unusual pieces. This Topiary Library can act as a reference for people to learn more about pruning and clipping. The space is small but the aspect is great and the beds are deep enough to put some plants in. …
Delivery After Dark – From the Makers of The Amelia Project
Last week I spent most nights stood in cold water streams on the moors of North Yorkshire, helping to film a new project called Delivery After Dark from the makers of the Amelia Project. I worked on the Amelia Project back at the end of 2024, lending my terrible vocal talents to a small part in the episode Didius Julianus. But this project is something new – and exciting! – and thankfully only needed me to be filmed, rather than to actually say anything. But not only did I have to stand in cold moving water at midnight, I also …