THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Just a quick note to let you know about this lovely company – Creature Candy.
We have some of their tea towels and think they do some beautiful designs, all inspired by nature. Lizzie, who started the company, is very lovely and you should definitely go check out their products and support them. The first reason, as I said, because the items you can buy are great.
But also….
Because Creature Candy was started to raise awareness for declining wildlife species here in the UK. We are talking bats, bumblebees and even the red squirrel – amazing work!
10% of every single product sold goes towards charities that help these species to survive and, we hope, one day thrive. Last year they gave over £3000 to British Wildlife Charities, a huge sum that can really support the work done by these conservation projects.
With your help, it could be even more.
Visit Creature Candy now and get yourself a British made gift that helps save our wildlife!
(And don’t forget, that if you want to make a difference to your carbon footprint, the easiest thing you can do is switch to a green energy supplier. Simple to do, makes a difference today. Go Green Now!
Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue
With Chris Poole of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society we visited Clipsham Yew Tree Avenue in Rutland. Do you know it? Amazing place! Chris and I were teaching a topiary workshop in order to give local people the skills and technique, and tenacity! to help with the pruning of the avenue and elevate it to something even more special than it already is. Read more about the workshops here. We hope to run a further workshop in September 2026, as well as teach an advanced course too. Check the teaching page through the year as it will be updated …
Aesthetic Pruners Association – New Talk In December
An organisation I love and have been learning lots from in the last two years is the Aesthetic Pruners Association based in the USA. Sharing knowledge with them about clipping and the overlap – and differences! – in style is something worth exploring, so I recommend a visit to their website and to join onto their events and talks, which are all on Zoom meaning you can access them from anywhere in the world. No excuse not to learn! The next event will be led by Jocelyn Cohen and be about ancient trees in the British Landscape. This is such …
The Amelia Project – Episode 88: Didius Julianus
Friends of mine write a sitcom podcast called The Amelia Project (I wrote about this years ago, when they started it….!) December 2024 I had some fun playing the tiny part of Fornio in episode 88 – Didius Julianus. I have not listened to the episode yet, as I am clearly not an actor… and the thought of listening to my dulcet tones for the few minutes I’m in it just… makes me feel ill. But the recording and being in the studio was great fun, the real actors were hilarious and the script is brilliant – not just funny, …