THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Struggling to find a gift that is actually decent, for the gardener or garden lover in your life?
Here are some ideas that, I hope, tap into what a gardener really will appreciate… rather than the tut you might get in M & S (I’m looking with angry, disappointed eyes at you, M & S copper plated trowel that you can purchase for not much money that looks good but lasts for no time and is a pile of dog mess to use…. to put it lightly….)
- Our tools – snips, secateurs, Diggy Diggy trowel, slug-repellant trowel, shears. Okay, okay – now we’ve got that over with. We sell stuff we stand by, that we use in the garden. We’re done now ok? You can carry on down the list and find something else that we don’t have a hand in on this website.
- Boots – got to have a good pair of boots in the garden. We wear these from Portuguese Treasures. The working boot. Soles are recycled from old car tyres. This wonderful nod towards recycling something useful to lower the carbon footprint is offset somewhat by the plane journey they send the boots on to reach you in the UK. But it is a start…. and the boots will last you.
- Books – Henk Gerritsen wrote ‘Essay On Gardening’ and it is a masterpiece. Tough to get hold of though, admittedly. We also love this one by Barn The Spoon, or this book about ‘Late Summer Flowers’ by the wonderful nurserywoman Marina Christopher. You can also try ‘Feral’ by George Monbiot.
- Rapanui shirts – organic cotton. Sustainable fashion is good for the planet, these shirts are thick and well-made. Perfect for the garden.
- Trees For Life – give the gift of a future.
- Truffle Hunting In Dorset – this one is a little bit special! Truffle hunting with dogs, here in the UK. Bit more expensive, but hey, make a weekend of it!
- Organic wine – we recommend… drinking. =)
- Riverford Organic Vegetable Box – if you don’t have time or space to grow all your own vegetables, then get a delivery every week. We love Riverford and we know that by eating organic food, we are also supporting a landscape that enhances life.
- Trip to a brilliant nursery – like this one, Marchant’s Hardy Plants, perhaps in the New Year when you can enjoy their Snowdrop Day.
- Bokashi – oh? You don’t know Bokashi? Me either, at least, I’ve never tried it yet. But I do know people who love to Bokashi their food waste and it all looks good. You basically pickle your leftover dinner and unused vegetables, then chuck it on the garden where it helps improve the soil. Something that will be massive in years to come. We hope.
So there you go, ten ideas for Christmas presents for the gardener in your life. (And as a bonus, try this if you know a beekeeper…. Hive Tool for Beekeepers.)
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….! …