THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Verbena Bonariensis
We know we know – Verbena bonariensis is so well known, planted in so many gardens, that it has become uncool to use …
The Perfect Garden
The perfect garden (or even worse, the perfect lawn!) is almost a badge of honour, something to be achieved and then shown off like a trophy on the mantelpiece. This search for perfection happens often in our lives – we seek the perfect word, the perfect skin, the perfect cup of tea. But the perfect garden is surely unachievable, if by perfect we mean ‘nothing out of place.’ Flawless. There will surely always be a corner that you haven’t had time to ‘tidy’ or ‘clean’… unless resources are seemingly unlimited… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8D2SYVaULw But what this does (beautiful as the space is) …
Mess
“What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird This is the best advice we can give to anyone starting there first garden – don’t worry if it is a mess. It is so easy, when you move into a new house and suddenly have all this space to deal with (space that doesn’t stand still and let you catch up with it!) to begin planning for beautiful lawns, lots of roses, or a …
Japanese Gardens
Always fascinated by Japanese Gardens, Modern Mint took a trip last Autumn to Japan to finally experience them face to face. The absolute highlight was our trip to Ryoan-ji. A client of ours had been there previously and felt the same way as us about it – the most beautiful place. Because it has so few plants (although, looking at the picture above, we can see plenty of greenery!) it could be called a minimalist garden… but as an experience goes, it feels complex and completely maximalist when you’re there. The Philosophers Walk is not a Japanese garden, but it does …