THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Lonely Bouquet Day
National Lonely Bouquet Day is tomorrow (Sunday 29th June) – an initiative that seeks to put a smile on the face of a stranger!
We love this idea. Having grown cut flowers in the past (and that really is a beautiful job) we applaud any idea that helps encourage people to get out and use flowers they might not have considered before. Flowers that are seasonal, smell great because they are fresh, are grown locally and, best of all, make a stranger happy.
If you want to take part in Lonely Bouquet Day, here is what you need to do…
1) Pick flowers fresh from the garden or forage straight from nature
2) Arrange the flowers in a small, recycled jar
3) Add a signature “take me!” tag
4) Leave the homegrown arrangement behind for a lucky local to take home. Voila! You have just delivered a handful of flowers that will surely put a smile on a stranger’s face.
We hope you support this wonderful project – go for it, cut some flowers and make someone smile!
(For a bouquet that seems to do the opposite of the aims of the Lonely Bouquet, take a look at this from our Chelsea Fringe project… that lonely bouquet is pretty sad by the end, right? That’s why we encourage you to spread the happiness tomorrow!)
If you are a complete novice with cut flowers, haven’t a clue where to begin, but are inspired enough to want to give it a go… you can always ask us for help. Other clients have… Cut Flower Garden.
Or these books below will give you a huge amount of information – we recommend you check them out!
The Cut Flower Patch: Grow your own cut flowers all year round
The Cutting Garden: Growing and Arranging Garden Flowers
(This one below is more about cut flower growing in the USA, but the lady who wrote it introduces great case studies from other growers – invaluable and inspiring tips about how to make your cutting patch work!)
And for those who have arranged flowers before and want something a little more exciting to work with… how funny are these florist snips…?
Modern Topiary, the Book, at Garden Media Guild
My book about topiary, Modern Topiary, has been mentioned on the Garden Media Guild newsletter…. As the screenshot says, the book can be read for free online here. At the bottom of the screenshot, it looks like another Garden Media Guild member has a book out called ‘A Year In A Cottage Garden’…. so if that is where your garden heart lies, check that out too! And at the top of the screenshot, it looks like I was listening to Pelleas et Melisande, by Debussy. What a classy chap I am, listening to classical music as I reply to emails. …
Start of the Whitby Topiary Library
I have been offered a space here in the centre of Whitby, south-facing aspect, with some raised beds in, so that I can make a Topiary Library. In my head, a topiary library is a place to showcase the common (and then not so common) shapes you can make out of topiary. With classical topiary plants, as well as some more unusual pieces. This Topiary Library can act as a reference for people to learn more about pruning and clipping. The space is small but the aspect is great and the beds are deep enough to put some plants in. …
Delivery After Dark – From the Makers of The Amelia Project
Last week I spent most nights stood in cold water streams on the moors of North Yorkshire, helping to film a new project called Delivery After Dark from the makers of the Amelia Project. I worked on the Amelia Project back at the end of 2024, lending my terrible vocal talents to a small part in the episode Didius Julianus. But this project is something new – and exciting! – and thankfully only needed me to be filmed, rather than to actually say anything. But not only did I have to stand in cold moving water at midnight, I also …