THE MODERN MINT BLOG
I will be teaching a Topiary Skills Workshop at Waltham Place in September 2023!
For more information and to book your spot on the course do visit the Waltham Place website.

In this 3 hour course you will learn everything you need to know about pruning and making topiary – as well as getting some practise in as well!
No experience necessary, just a positive attitude and a pair of shears needed… I can help you sharpen and clean everything up before we begin, so don’t panic if your tools are a little rough!
During the session you will:
- Learn about the basic tools you need for topiary, how to look after them and what to do with pests on your boxwood.
- Take a tour of the garden to see which plants can be used and what it is possible to do with them
- Learn the right technique for clipping
- Get clipping – practise makes perfect!
Topiary should be fun and practical so come prepared to do some pruning – it is, after all, the best way to learn.
And tell your friends about the course. The garden is magnificent, so what could be better than a wander around with friends, then doing something creative? (Having a glass of wine and wandering around with friends? Ok, that is better.. but not going to happen when using sharp tools… for this course, anyway…)
Book a place now on the Topiary Skills course at Waltham Place.

Buxus the Norfolk Terrier In Modern Topiary Book
This is Buxus, our Norfolk Terrier, who I acknowledge in the acknowledgments of the book of Modern Topiary. The book of Modern Topiary can be read, for free, here. There you go. Buxus the dog on ‘doorstep duty’ at a friend’s house in Edinburgh. For those asking what he looked like!
What People Think Of Modern Topiary, The Book
Yesterday I put out the book – Modern Topiary – that I have spent the last six years writing. Download for free a pdf of Modern Topiary here. And what seems amazing to me, is that not only have people actually been reading it, but then responding to it. So below are a number of comments I have been sent from those who read it last night, and this morning…. “Brilliant read, exactly the right amount of info to take in and digest.” Rachel, a gardener “Just finished reading – absolutely brilliant!” Camilla (she shared with me lots she highlighted) …
Modern Topiary Book
Over the last six years I have been writing a book. It is called Modern Topiary and I have finally finished it, and now made it available for people to read. This is the blurb on the back…. This is the topiary book I wish I had when I began trying to clip plants into a shape others would consider beautiful. Split into two parts – the craft and then the art of topiary – I have tried to share everything I know. It’s not a long book. I hope this gives you the foundation for good technique, alongside ideas …
