THE MODERN MINT BLOG

Mar14

Best Garden Furniture of 2016

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…

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…

nordeck oak chair

What is the next best item of garden furniture for 2016?

This! A new arrival for Modern Mint…

pink rug

How colourful!

aqua rugHow useful!

black rugBut 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:

– Lightweight and easy to carry
– Can be wiped with a wet or dry cloth or simply hosed off
– Resistant to moisture and mildew

We also offer you outdoor cushions made from the same recycled plastic and with all the same fantastic qualities. Take a look at these…

yellow cushion

 

orange cushion

black cushionThat is our bet picks for garden furniture in 2016 – see more now on the Modern Mint Shop!

 

 

Jan28

Monty Don British Gardens Episode 4

I hadn’t seen the new Monty Don series ‘Monty Don’s British Gardens’ but I was sent a message one evening to say stick it on – episode 4 especially! On the episode were three gardens I make and clip the topiary in… the photo above is my quizzical boxwood emu… which looks ridiculous out of context of the wider topiary garden it sits in… but hey! Showcases what you can do with boxwood, when given enough time to let it grow! But also on the episode were Waltham Place, one of my favourite gardens and a place I teach topiary …

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Nov01

Topiary Art In Hong Kong, The Henderson

Here are a couple of photos of the topiary work I have been doing in Hong Kong for the Art Garden at the bottom of the brand new skyscraper, The Henderson. The building has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and this November 2024 the garden at the base of the structure will be planted up, with lots of topiary originally designed by Gillespies Landscape Architects, grown by Tarzan Nursery in China, and then clipped and refined into shape by…. me. Will update with photos from The Henderson Art Garden when all is completed and the garden is opened, but …

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Apr16

EBTS Boxwood Growers Forum

Through the European Boxwood and Topiary Society I worked with Chris Poole and Sue Mesher, members of the EBTS board, and we set up a Boxwood Growers Forum. This was to discuss how to make sure this wonderful topiary plant stays in the public conscioussness – we know many growers, suppliers and distributors have stopped selling it as the cost of replacing boxwood that has blight, or is nibbled by the boxwood caterpillar, makes it unviable to offer to clients and gardeners. But Boxwood is a phoenix plant, and there are ways to deal with the problems associated with Buxus. …

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