THE MODERN MINT BLOG
End of May – so it must be time for Chelsea? Chelsea Fringe that is….
What is the Chelsea Fringe?
The Chelsea Fringe is a flower festival that coincides with the Chelsea Flower Show. It is the anarchic, fun, breaks all the boundaries ‘big’ little sister of the main Chelsea event – we say ‘big’ little sister because in some ways, though currently less well-known, it encourages more access to gardening for more people.
We love it, and it suits us here at Modern Mint – which is why we took part last year, with an online project which you can devour here, called ‘You Should Have Seen It Last Week…’
This year, 2015, we thought we should go one bigger and one better – get more people involved, be bolder, do something that really will last a long time – so we have created an ebook, free to read, download and share, filled with 100 word manifestos from gardeners around the country who shared with us why they garden.
It turned out fab, a fantastic glimpse into the minds of those who work the soil all over the UK. We are so grateful to all the people who took part, and to all the people who have read and shared the book (incidentally, the book supports the charity RBST. You should too!)
Please do support the Chelsea Fringe and please do go right on ahead and read our book for the Chelsea Fringe Festival – ‘Contemporary Green’ – we promise it will make you laugh, make you wonder, make you think.
Have a great weekend of gardening folks!
Modern Topiary, the Book, at Garden Media Guild
My book about topiary, Modern Topiary, has been mentioned on the Garden Media Guild newsletter…. As the screenshot says, the book can be read for free online here. At the bottom of the screenshot, it looks like another Garden Media Guild member has a book out called ‘A Year In A Cottage Garden’…. so if that is where your garden heart lies, check that out too! And at the top of the screenshot, it looks like I was listening to Pelleas et Melisande, by Debussy. What a classy chap I am, listening to classical music as I reply to emails. …
Start of the Whitby Topiary Library
I have been offered a space here in the centre of Whitby, south-facing aspect, with some raised beds in, so that I can make a Topiary Library. In my head, a topiary library is a place to showcase the common (and then not so common) shapes you can make out of topiary. With classical topiary plants, as well as some more unusual pieces. This Topiary Library can act as a reference for people to learn more about pruning and clipping. The space is small but the aspect is great and the beds are deep enough to put some plants in. …
Delivery After Dark – From the Makers of The Amelia Project
Last week I spent most nights stood in cold water streams on the moors of North Yorkshire, helping to film a new project called Delivery After Dark from the makers of the Amelia Project. I worked on the Amelia Project back at the end of 2024, lending my terrible vocal talents to a small part in the episode Didius Julianus. But this project is something new – and exciting! – and thankfully only needed me to be filmed, rather than to actually say anything. But not only did I have to stand in cold moving water at midnight, I also …