THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Lovely to see one of our favourite companies trending on the BBC today…. Hiut Denim Jeans.
Not only do they make brilliant jeans, but they have been a massive inspiration to us.
Their philosophy, to make the best jeans they can, not the most jeans they can, reminds us all the time that at Modern Mint, it is okay not to sell the same tools and products as the garden centres.
Because we don’t like those tools. We like these tools….
These tools are the ones that will last you, that are sharp and strong yet light, and will be something you love to use every single day in the garden.
The best tools, not the most popular tools.
Having coveted a pair of Hiut Denim jeans for awhile, we finally ordered one pair at the start of the year.
We waited while they were made.
Since they have arrived, back in March, we have worn them pretty much every single day. We did not wash them, as is the way of raw denim, for 9 months.
This is what they looked like after 9 months without water, each and every crease made by my frame and movements…
They looked ready for a wash, didn’t they?
But the benefits of the No Wash Club are strong, particularly that you will have a pair of jeans that are unique to you.
When I did wash them, in lukewarm water in the bathtub, turned inside out so that the true indigo only lightly bled…. they looked like this…
Really loved where they have faded. Where they are creased. It is like looking at my copper tools after so much use….
So there you have it. A Welsh company making jeans is an inspiration for Modern Mint. Because they want to sell you something excellent, that will do you a great job. And last you a long time.
Sounds very much like the lovely items we have here on our shop!
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 …
Modern Topiary (The Book) – Message From Lady Clippers, And Others!
My topiary book – Modern Topiary – has recently been put out as a PDF, which can be read for free. (Have a look here to download and read/share it!) Then last week I received a lovely email from Ann Perkowski of Lady Clippers, who are topiary and pruning specialists in New York (Ann is a brilliant pruning teacher too, who teaches at New York Botanical Garden… check out her work and Lady Clippers website.) Hi Darren, I had to write you how much I love reading your Modern Topiary. I’m not sure I’ll ever be quite done with it because I’m …