THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Hand Held Hoe
What is this one?
The question people ask me the most at my talks…
It is a good question. What kind of tool could it be? This shiny, beautiful little hoop? Cheekily, we refuse to answer straight away and instead question them back – what do you think it is?
Take a look again…
We have been told it is:
- An avocado de-stoner.
- A dog brush.
- A boot scraper.
- A boiled egg de-sheller. (Big egg…)
- A hairbrush for a teddy boy quiff.
- A dog lead holder.
- A target for practising your golf chip.
- A body exfoliating tool.
- A nail clipper.
- A razor.
- A scone or cookie cutter.
- A zombie electrifier.
- A huge earring…
Some amazing guesses for this unusual tool for a gardener to use. Not everyone has an idea about what it does…
Shall we tell you?
It is, very simply, a hand held hoe.
This hoe has a sharpened bronze blade, curved so that it can dip into cultivated soil and cut roots as well as drag back to your bucket or pail those blanket-type weeds like chickweed or the clovers.
The handle is beech and oiled with linseed. This hand held hoe not only speeds up weeding and cultivating the soil – just a few quick sweeps across the surface of the flower or vegetable beds should do the trick – but it also has an heirloom quality about it that we love. (So do all of our copper tools, to be fair.)
Our Unusual Hand Held Hoe
We regularly get people taking a chance and buying one of these either as a gift for a friend, or as a little treat for themselves. Often, after trying it out, they come back and buy another one for someone they know will love it. Or we get emails to say how amazing this ‘hand held hoe’ is.
“Thank you for sending me my lovely Nunki a few weeks ago. I have recommended your site to another friend Jane – who will be buying a Nunki from you very soon. Love from Pembrokeshire” Anna
It is a lovely job selling these wonderful and unique weeding tools…
Get Your Nunki Now.
For example, at Salisbury Christmas market we had a lovely lady buy one for her sister, who was a keen gardener. She came back two days later, pushed through the crowd around our stall and said, “my sister is blown away by it, it is brilliant! Absolutely blown away! Thank you. Everybody – buy one!”
I went red in the face, as this kind of praise is amazing and gratifying, but also not something you ask for and was totally unexpected. The lady then walked off back to whatever she was up to that day, and the crowd around our stall laughed and giggled.
And then of course wanted to try this hand held hoe and discover for themselves exactly why she thought it was so blooming great…
It gives us great pleasure to sell this hoe. It gives us great pleasure to earn a reputation for inviting you to try products that are useful as well as beautiful.
We do hope you will give our unusual ‘hand held hoe’ a go. Those who have already tried it suggest you will love it.
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 …