THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Desert Island Plants… by Modern Mint
When the amazing Beth Chatto was asked about the plants she could not live without, she said, “Amelanchier lamarckii… Good form in winter, lovely foliage in spring or autumn, prettier than many cherries (daintier) – and interesting longer.”
When they asked the brilliant Christopher Lloyd the same question, one of his choices was a dahlia, “ ‘Hillcrest Royal’ is a spiky medium cactus of brilliant purple, not quite magenta colouring.”
In 2009 Gardeners’ World asked the nation for their favourite flower. The result? We chose the rose.
Now, for the 2016 Chelsea Fringe, we want to ask you again – is the rose still a favourite bloom? Which plants could you not live without? Which flowers must you have if stranded on a desert island?
How do we take part?
Send a photo (or illustration) of a plant you love and then complete the following sentence in your own words…
My Desert Island Plant would be…
What you write can be any length you want – one word, a paragraph or even a whole story – we just want to know why this plant is worth a spot in your heart.
You can send your photo, with text, to us at info@modernmint.co.uk (we will then post it on Facebook), tweet it to us by including @ModernMintLtd in your tweet, or post it on our Facebook page.
You can send us up to 5 of your Desert Island Plants.
Don’t forget to include your name, the plant variety if applicable and a website address if you have one!
What Happens Next?
The best reasons for choosing your desert island plants will be published on the Modern Mint website at the end of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, where you can decide if you agree with the most popular desert island plants… or not!
(The easiest way to stay updated about this project is to sign up here.)
When do we send our photos and text?
Begin sending, tweeting and posting Modern Mint from tomorrow, April 1st 2016…
Who Would We Like To Hear From?
Everyone and anyone!
Have Modern Mint Done The Chelsea Fringe before?
Yes, we have!
In 2015 we curated the project Contemporary Green which was voted a highlight of the festival and in 2014 we made “You Should Have Seen It Last Week…”
We hope you will join us at the Chelsea Fringe Festival 2016 for Desert Island Plants… by Modern Mint.
Don’t forget, the easiest way you can get updates on Desert Island Plants is by signing up. Go sign up now!
Topiary Art In Hong Kong, The Henderson
Here are a couple of photos of the topiary work I have been doing in Hong Kong for the Art Garden at the bottom of the brand new skyscraper, The Henderson. The building has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and this November 2024 the garden at the base of the structure will be planted up, with lots of topiary originally designed by Gillespies Landscape Architects, grown by Tarzan Nursery in China, and then clipped and refined into shape by…. me. Will update with photos from The Henderson Art Garden when all is completed and the garden is opened, but …
EBTS Boxwood Growers Forum
Through the European Boxwood and Topiary Society I worked with Chris Poole and Sue Mesher, members of the EBTS board, and we set up a Boxwood Growers Forum. This was to discuss how to make sure this wonderful topiary plant stays in the public conscioussness – we know many growers, suppliers and distributors have stopped selling it as the cost of replacing boxwood that has blight, or is nibbled by the boxwood caterpillar, makes it unviable to offer to clients and gardeners. But Boxwood is a phoenix plant, and there are ways to deal with the problems associated with Buxus. …
Modern Topiarist @ Garden Masterclass Poland
My video on Modern Topiary for Garden Masterclass has been translated into Polish, for the keen gardeners (and happy pruners!) of Garedn Masterclass in Poland. Tickets for the first showing and q and a were available here. But it will become available on the Garden Masterclass Poland website at some point in the near future – so if you are a keen clipper and want to know more, but speak Polish and not English, then I suggest you visit the website and get watching. (Of course, if you don’t speak English, you may not be able to read this…. hmmm… …