THE MODERN MINT BLOG
The Big Tree Plant
Funding has been secured from DEFRA through the Big Tree Plant programme to plant 17,000 trees in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk over a period of two years.
Over 8000 trees were pplanted last season and there are another 9000 to go from this October 2014 to February 2015.
What do you need to do?
Provide a site which will take a minimum of 200 whips at 1m spacing.
Provide a site that is publicly accessible.
Encourage the local community to get involved in the planting and (ideally) the upkeep too.
What will Groundworks Essex (who secured the funding) do?
Help organise the communities involvement.
Provide protection for the trees from rabbits, strimmers etc…
Help design the scheme with their Landscape architect.
Provide additional trees and shrubs that are larger than whips if this is deemed necessary.
Tailor the design to suit your needs and site.
And most importantly…?
Fund up to 75% of the whole cost of the project, or even more than that if there is match funding or donations of time from another source.
How do you find out more?
To find out more about the Big Tree Plant scheme please get in touch with Kim Howell on 01268 752368; kim.howell@groundwork.org.uk
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 …
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 …
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. …