THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Grown-up Gardening
The comic below is called Grown-ups. We share it with you because it tells us something important about being a Modern Gardener – more important by far than learning Latin plant names (though they are important) and saving water (that is necessary too!)
This comic shows us that as a gardener, a Modern Gardener, we have a responsibility to the space we call our home. We get to decide how to use it, what we put in it, the way we interact with the flora and fauna that we share it with.
As a Modern Gardener, as a grown-up, we decide how we treat the earth. This comic reminds us it is attitude and imagination that matters, that makes life exciting, that makes our homes and our gardens a wonderful place to be – far more than learning to ‘get something right and garden properly’ will ever do.
Don’t be childish. Be a grown-up.
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 …
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 …