THE MODERN MINT BLOG

Feb26

Box Tree Moth Trap – Green Gardener

It is quickly coming up to spring and worth checking your boxwood plants in the next month or so for box tree moth and caterpillar.

You can read more about how I dealt with it last year in a garden in Essex here:

Dealing With Boxwood Moth & Caterpillar

If you want a trap to reduce the population of breeding males (and why wouldn’t you want to do that to reduce the damage caused by this pest?) then you can get a trap from The Green Gardener.

Get 10% off by using this code from The European Boxwood & Topiary Society – EBTSBOX29GBZ

Hope this helps your topiary stay looking good and pest free this year!

And finally, check out my topiary work here…. Cutting Hedge Technology.

Apr14

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….! …

READ MORE

Apr14

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…

Feb27

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!