THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Saturday marks the start of this years Chelsea Fringe. Here are just a few of the fascinating events you can go and see…
Making Meadows, Strawberry Hill House
Walks, talks and free entry to the garden as a wildflower meadow is planted on the visitor centre roof.
The culinary fantasies of Willy Wonka are explored in this edible garden project, where your home produce will be turned into ice-cream… let’s hope for warm weather and weird flavours!
The Pansy Project, London, Brighton and Bristol
Marking the International day against Homophobia and Transphobia, a single pansy will be placed where hate crimes have been committed. An incredibly moving symbol highlighting support for the LGBT community.
Dry Stone Walling Days in Islington
We met John, who will be teaching the dry stone walling, last night at the Garden Museum… and we can assure you that an afternoon dry stone walling with him will be a fantastic experience. He thinks the physical and mental health benefits are enormous, that everyone should give it a go, and that women are far better at it than men…
This is just a small selection of the many events taking place, please do look up what else is on – from poetry to peepshows, to Bristol to Brighton to Vienna to Ljubljana, to living walls to elm trees – the Chelsea Fringe is a major event now in the gardening year. It would feel wrong without it…
And don’t forget we have our own online project at Modern Mint, a little number titled ‘You Should Have Seen It Last Week…’
Recommended Reading:
On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening without Boundaries
Box Hill – Novella by Adam Mars-Jones
I picked this book up back in 2020 because of the title – Box Hill – fabulous, I thought, a book about boxwood. I’ll peruse this for its respective thoughts on the plant I clip most when I make topiary. I didn’t read the blurb on the back. Didn’t know the author (although I knew the publisher, Fitzcarraldo Editions, as I love many of the essays they have published… so trusted the author would be worth spending time with.) By page 2 I realised this novel wasn’t quite what I had expected. I started the book at 10pm, after getting …
The Henderson, Topiary Art Interview on Instagram
In a suit… eek! View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Henderson (@thehenderson_hk)
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….! …