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!
Topiary Workshop 2026 at Waltham Place
The next topiary workshop I will be teaching is now live on the website and can be booked! Just visit Waltham Place to get a ticket for the Topiary Workshop I will be teaching on Friday September 4th at Waltham Place. Myself and Chris Poole of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society (Buxus expert! Like, he knows everything there is to know about the plant! So worth booking just to tap into his knowledge….!) will be teaching here for the… fifth year in a row I think? The garden is a beautiful place to spend time clipping. We will teach …
Michael Gibson, New York Topiary Art!
In the New York Times earlier this year was a lovely interview with Michael Gibson, who makes topiary and gardens in New York. The article is here but you may not have access… however, search the internet, find it and have a read. It is great! His philosophy of pruning is especially worth it… Sacred geometry in topiary? Yes please! What a phrase! I think (and speak) of balance, of major and minor, of leaf volume… but sacred geometry might well make it into my topiary teaching lexicon! And the idea of directional trimming? I realise I do this, but …
Topiary Library
I do a lot of teaching topiary. I had the opportunity from my mentor, Charlotte Molesworth, to work on her garden and experiment and test techniques and generally try making shapes without the worry of failure, or being fired, or being sued and run out of business for getting it wrong. This opportunity was essential (along with Charlotte’s insistance that pruning standards had to be high!) in becoming better at topiary. When I look around the world at our cultural vitamins, what we see in the media day in and day out, I see the stupidest and grossest of people …