THE MODERN MINT BLOG
This Chelsea Fringe we are running a project called ‘You Should Have Seen It Last Week…’
Taking part is the Uruguayan paisajista Amalia Robredo. She sent us two options for photos – the one above, or the one we eventually chose (that can be seen on the project page – just follow the link above!)
She wrote this about her choice of plants to photo:
“It was a difficult choice as we are in the end of autumn and there is not really much to change in the weeks to come.
I wanted the picture to reflect the place where I live, that is why it had to have the sea and it has a very specific plant community that only takes place in this coastal area, it is called “matorral espinoso psamófilo” (Our Note: ‘the spiny scrub?’), it holds some endemic species and it is an endangered community due to urban development.
I wanted to have Cortaderia selloana (Pampa grass) as it is a plant that many around the world know and I thought it could be interesting to see it in its native setting.
I hope you like them.”
We certainly do. The photograph is stunning and provides a wonderful contrast to the gardens and plants that are taking part in the project from the Northern Hemisphere.
To learn more about Amalia and her work you can buy here book here…
Or read this by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury – Planting: A New Perspective
Topiary Teaching For 2026
A new year, so time to share a few thoughts on what I will be looking at doing with topiary, and the focus on teaching I would like to put in place, for 2026 and beyond. Above is Nandina, made by a student of ours from the European Boxwood and Topiary Society. She took a year to work on this, taking a plant not renowned for being a good topiary plant, but seeing what its weirdness is and what values it does have, then exploring and exploding those. I am thrilled by this. Not just this look for autumn. A …
Topiary Workshop 2026 at Waltham Place
The next topiary workshop I will be teaching is now live on the website and can be booked! Just visit Waltham Place to get a ticket for the Topiary Workshop I will be teaching on Friday September 4th at Waltham Place. Myself and Chris Poole of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society (Buxus expert! Like, he knows everything there is to know about the plant! So worth booking just to tap into his knowledge….!) will be teaching here for the… fifth year in a row I think? The garden is a beautiful place to spend time clipping. We will teach …
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 …