THE MODERN MINT BLOG
It is bright and sunny today, still a cold wind, but definitely showing signs of spring outside – so we thought it best to share with you the best garden furniture we have found for 2016.
There are only a few items out there that we really love, that fit the Modern Mint ethos of ‘buy once buy well’ and that also have an element of recycling built into their life cycle.
Top of our list of best garden furniture this year is the same as last year (sorry to bore all of you who have already bought some of these, but as you know best, they are just so damn good. If we were inclined to we could suggest a new ‘hot thing’ for 2016 but, frankly, that would be tedious and led by the marketplace – not by what is actually the best product out there to buy.)
Here it is – the Nordeck chair…
A classic design with a contemporary look. (It sounds silly but we think that phrase sums this chair up beautifully. We also say the same about our copper tools…)
This really is the best furniture you will find. It is made with a selection of wood from European woodlands (pine, birch or oak.) These lengths of wood are held together by three pieces of hemp rope. That is all.
What is so special about this chair, what drew us at Modern Mint to it originally, is that the wood is sourced from managed woodlands that are actually growing in size – by promoting the use of these particular materials from right here on our doorstep we are reducing the market for exotic hardwoods from the tropics.
If there is money to be made by cutting down a mahogany tree, illegal or not loggers will do it. If we begin using the best wood available in Europe, which can do the same job, look just as good and the production of it can be managed in a way that not just replaces but extends the amount of material, why aren’t we using more of it? It worked well enough for years, before we were able to easily buy the exotic wood from abroad.
This is why we think the best garden furniture of 2016 is still the Nordeck chair. A hands down winner.
Read more in Why we Love the Nordeck Chair…
What is the next best item of garden furniture for 2016?
This! A new arrival for Modern Mint…
How colourful!
How useful!
But why do we think these new, colourful rugs are the best?
Because it is an eco-friendly rug. We loved it when we saw it for the brightness of the design, but when we discovered it was made using quality recycled plastic straws (which are recyclable again when you have finished with the rug) we thought – that is so Modern Mint.
The rug is soft-textured and lightweight, can be used indoors and outdoors too – this product and where it can be used has been beautifully thought through, and given UV protection to allow it to sit outside without fading in the sunlight.
Deceptively rugged, it can also be reversed to change the style of your decor. With the funky, modern design, is that enough for you to agree it is the best garden furniture of 2016?
See ALL of our Eco-friendly Rugs…
More features of the garden rug:
We also offer you outdoor cushions made from the same recycled plastic and with all the same fantastic qualities. Take a look at these…
That is our bet picks for garden furniture in 2016 – see more now on the Modern Mint Shop!
Topiary, The Art Garden at The Henderson
The Art Garden at The Henderson in Hong-Kong has now opened to the public. I joined the project last March, to work with Gillespies Landscape Architects on the topiary that had been designed for the Art Garden, which gives a calm, green space below the extraordinary Henderson skyscraper designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The garden has been designed with butterflies in mind, so lots of nectar plants, and has other art projects and installations within its footprint. The history of the site is interesting too – it was originally the first cricket ground in Hong-Kong! So still a green space….! …
ClipFest 2025
On Sunday June 22nd there will be Clipfest 2025 at Ichi-Coo Park in Surrey. It is a celebration of all things pruning and topiary, and I will be there in my capacity of teacher at the European Boxwood and Topiary Society to demonstrate tool cleaning and sharpening, and how to clip. Tickets can be found here on Eventbrite. We are hoping for great weather and to see lots of keen pruners getting their shears out and joining us at this amazing garden! And for more on topiary…
Secateur Holders
A present arrived from Norway today, from a student who visited last February to work with Chris Poole and I on learning topiary. His new hobby – a beautiful and neatly stitched secateur holder. Thrilled with this! The holder will save me keep losing my secatuers too…! Thank you Bernt! It was the same student who introduced me to the APA with whom I am doing a talk at the end of March. Tickets can be bought here for ‘Defining The Essence – Aesthetic Pruning in the Garden’. Do join the European Boxwood and Topiary Society for that!