THE MODERN MINT BLOG

Nov11

Chelsea Fringe 2015 – Call for Authors

We are looking for garden writers to take part in a Modern Mint project for the Chelsea Fringe Festival in 2015.

What Is the Project?

The project is called ‘Contemporary Green: How Do We Cultivate Our Garden?’

It is a free to download, free to share, free to print book co-authored by garden writers like you.

What Do You Need To Do?

Write a 100 word ‘manifesto’ answering the question ‘How Do We Cultivate Our Garden?’

The question can be answered however you see fit – literally, philosophically, with an environmental bent, from a cynical worldview – the choice is yours, of course, but hopefully will give you enough inspiration to share your own unique perspective of what gardening is or could be.

When you have perfected your 100 words you must send them to info@modernmint.co.uk by midnight on February 14th 2015. Any later and your submission will not be considered. Sorry.

This should give you enough time however to work out how to express yourself and your ideas in 100 words!

You will also need to send us a 1-2 sentence blurb about yourself. Please do include a link to your book, blog, website or Twitter feed if you have one.

3 Reasons To Take Part

1) Publicity for yourself – as well as your spot in the book, you will also have your name on the content page.

2) To be a part of the Chelsea Fringe 2015 and support this anarchic counterpoint to the Chelsea Flower Show.

3) To help create a document that captures the way a wide spectrum of the gardening world thinks and expresses itself in the here and now of 2014-15 – hence the title, Contemporary Green.

We hope it will be a wonderful document to look back on in ten, twenty, fifty years time and see how much has changed in the way we think about our relationship to the environment.

What Will We Do With Your Submission?

We will place each contribution into a downloadable PDF ‘Contemporary Green’ and then release it onto our website (www.modernmint.co.uk) at the start of the Chelsea Fringe 2015.

It is then free to download, share, tweet, photocopy and spread so that as many people as possible can have access to your ideas.

Do We Think This Project Will Work?

We have the tools available to us to make it happen, and we love the idea of curating the work of a large number of smart and interesting people into something this solid. We just hope you share our enthusiasm enough to contribute!

Advertising

There will be 5 large and 5 small spaces available for advertising in. You may wish to advertise here as well as having your own 100 word spot and website link – rates are available on request, and we reserve the right to refuse you if we think what you advertise doesn’t fit within the book.

50% of the money raised through advertising will go to other organisations, split as below:

10% will go to the Chelsea Fringe Festival organisers.

40% will go to The Rare Breeds Survival Trust as a donation.

The remaining 50% goes towards costs for putting the book together, photos and web hosting.

Terms and Conditions

By sending us your 100-word manifesto you are consenting, as the author, to generously and freely give us these words. You are allowing it to be shared, printed, posted, photocopied and emailed without permission.

The book will not be sold nor will your content be changed.

Who Is Asking You To Do This and Why the Chelsea Fringe? 

Modern Mint are asking you to do this – a garden design firm based in Essex.

We are thrilled to learn about gardening from other generous gardeners, and this seems a fun way to hear more about what people do and how they think about the garden.

We did the Chelsea Fringe in 2014 with an online project called “You Should Have Seen It Last Week” – these are the sort of projects that suit the very nature of the Fringe Festival.

Conclusion

We hope you will join us in this project, or share it with someone who you think would love to.

Remember, submissions and blurb to info@modernmint.co.uk by midnight on February 14th 2015.

Thank you,

Darren Lerigo

Director, Modern Mint Ltd

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!