THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst: The Creation of a Garden is a beautiful book, where garden writer Sarah Raven (you can find …
Urban Bees
Urban Bees is bringing bees to our cities. They are not just training people in beekeeping, or partnering up beekeepers with people who have the space to keep a hive (much like the ‘adopt a beehive’ scheme run by Richard from Essex Bees) but they are also promoting bee-friendly spaces. Just study the Trees for Bees poster above (you can also view it on the Urban Bees website.) Bees don’t want to waste energy, so planting a tree gives the bees an efficient way to earn a vital food source. We love using lime trees in a garden for a …
What Is Your Garden’s Story?
What is your garden’s story? Are you a minimalist? A lawnsmith? Or perhaps a maniac for a meadow? In this beautiful Ted talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she explains that the tales we tell ourselves affect how we identify with the world – and that if we are not careful, if we only have and believe one story – it ‘robs people of dignity.’ Please do take the time to watch her talk, allow it to affect you and help you decide what the stories of your life (and not just your garden) really are… (If you like this, you may also be …
Seed Sowing Compost
We have been asked to share a recipe for seed compost but, as always happens, it turns out there is far more to it than we originally thought… Marina Christopher’s Seed Sowing Compost Recipe “I mix equal parts of a sterilised peat-based seed compost with a soil-based John Innes formula (it really doesn’t matter if it is grade 1, 2 or 3) and a 1-3mm washed grit. This is all passed through a large mesh sieve (approx 1 sq cm) to remove the largest particles. Mix it all up in a large clean wheelbarrow and you get a heavy, …