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!
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. …