THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Logs – Modern Mint
Autumn is arriving and nights are getting colder, so we need to start thinking about logs for the fire. Why …
NGS Sissinghurst
Earlier in the year we visited Sissinghurst, when they opened for the NGS scheme at 6am on a Sunday morning. It was brilliant to be there so early and we had the chance to talk with new(ish) head gardener Troy Scott Smith about how they are trying to ‘revitalise Vita’. The garden has changed a lot over the years, which is a good thing, but has lost a little of the ‘fine carelessness’ that drove the making of the garden. It is now the job of Troy and his team to bring a little of that chaos and looseness back …
Vita Sackville-West – Sissinghurst
Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst: The Creation of a Garden is a beautiful book, where garden writer Sarah Raven (you can find more of her ideas at Sarah Raven’s Cutting Garden) remixing the words of Vita with a history of the garden itself. It introduces the idea of gardening with a ‘fine carelessness’ – a phrase of great nuance and, let’s face it, difficult to achieve in the garden as it requires a balance between art and chaos. But what a peg upon which to place your gardening hat… The opening chapter, though a ‘Brief History’ and of course a necessity for …
What Is Your Garden’s Story?
What is your garden’s story? Are you a minimalist? A lawnsmith? Or perhaps a maniac for a meadow? In this beautiful Ted talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she explains that the tales we tell ourselves affect how we identify with the world – and that if we are not careful, if we only have and believe one story – it ‘robs people of dignity.’ Please do take the time to watch her talk, allow it to affect you and help you decide what the stories of your life (and not just your garden) really are… (If you like this, you may also be …