THE MODERN MINT BLOG
The National Gardens Scheme is well underway for 2014. Yesterday we saw the garden at Ulting Wick in Essex, owned …
Talking Grass
Talking Grass is a blog by writer Sara Gregson. We recommend you take a look as it pulls together the many functions grass plays in our lives – from providing food for the animals we eat, to providing the surface we kick a ball on – making us stop and think about something we so often take for granted. We like that kind of writing… Her post ‘Lawns are Far from Pointless’ has several highlights, including telling us about the Salisbury Lawns, five and a half acres of lawn at Chatsworth house that is full of wild flowers. Delightful! Could we all …
The 4 Commandments, Henk Gerritsen
For those of you who wish to be ‘natural’ gardeners, the designer Henk Gerritsen laid out four commandments in his book Henk Gerritsen: Essay on Gardening. 1) The use of fertilisers and chemical herbicides is a mortal sin 2) Try to disturb the soil as little as possible 3) Be frugal with water 4) Don’t whinge! Not a bad place to start if you are beginning your journey towards becoming a better gardener. Buy the book by clicking below: A fifth commandment could easily have been – Plant Trees. Planting a tree is a fabulous way to make a natural …
Contemporary Garden Design…
…would look nothing like in this picture. So what would it look like? What do people want? According to a survey conducted by the Horticultural Trades Association, there are several key ideas that go into making a contemporary garden: It must be tidy and easy to maintain. It must be centred around a social area – a patio evokes strong memories of happy times and associating with friends. It must prompt a feeling of ‘holiday’ (rather than ‘I have to go out and work on it.’) Sunshine, grass to walk on with bare feet, space for children to play and the …