THE MODERN MINT BLOG

Feb22

Guanock House – Trainee Topiary Artist Needed

Guanock House needs a trainee topiary artist!

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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.

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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.

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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.

Jan28

Monty Don British Gardens Episode 4

I hadn’t seen the new Monty Don series ‘Monty Don’s British Gardens’ but I was sent a message one evening to say stick it on – episode 4 especially! On the episode were three gardens I make and clip the topiary in… the photo above is my quizzical boxwood emu… which looks ridiculous out of context of the wider topiary garden it sits in… but hey! Showcases what you can do with boxwood, when given enough time to let it grow! But also on the episode were Waltham Place, one of my favourite gardens and a place I teach topiary …

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Nov01

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 …

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Apr16

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. …

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