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!
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 …
Topiary Library
I do a lot of teaching topiary. I had the opportunity from my mentor, Charlotte Molesworth, to work on her garden and experiment and test techniques and generally try making shapes without the worry of failure, or being fired, or being sued and run out of business for getting it wrong. This opportunity was essential (along with Charlotte’s insistance that pruning standards had to be high!) in becoming better at topiary. When I look around the world at our cultural vitamins, what we see in the media day in and day out, I see the stupidest and grossest of people …
Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue
With Chris Poole of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society we visited Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue in Rutland. Do you know it? Amazing place! Chris and I were teaching a topiary workshop in order to give local people the skills and technique, and tenacity! to help with the pruning of the avenue and elevate it to something even more special than it already is. Read more about the workshops here. We hope to run a further workshop in September 2026, as well as teach an advanced course too. Check the teaching page through the year as it will be updated …