THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Guanock House needs a trainee topiary artist!
Some of you may know it as the first home and garden of designer Arne Maynard, but is now owned and maintained by Michael Coleman and his wife Michelle. They offer meditation workshops and retreats there and it is as beautiful a house and garden as you could wish to visit.
They called me in last Autumn to help shape up some of the topiary as it was all getting out of hand, but what it really needs is someone with a steady hand and lots of patience to take over the clipping in the summer.
Guanock House Trainee Needed
Michael is looking for a local person who is diligent, is able to tackle the strenuous nature of the work and has an aesthetic sense for shaping plants that will be in tune with the garden.
The work is on a project by project basis to begin with, possibly moving to something more regular in the future.
Pay in line with experience. Training will be given as well, possibly by myself to make sure you have all the know-how you need.
What I will stress is that the work is great fun (as tough as it can be physically) and that this is a fantastic opportunity to make a start in your gardening and pruning career. There is a variety of plants to turn your hand too and get experience working with, as well as a mix of formal and organic shapes.
It is a perfect first job for an aspiring topiary artist!
Please do visit the Guanock House website and let Michael know you are interested, and to find out more –
Contact Guanock House here.
Or view my topiary work.
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 …