THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Oak Nordeck Chair
As people keep asking what is our favourite Nordeck chair, we thought we would let you know in no uncertain terms – the oak.
Take a closer look at the Oak Nordeck Chair
The wood is strong, the colour is beautiful and it just looks right in the garden (or conservatory, or beach hut… or wherever!)
The larch is another chair we think is beautiful. Larch is an underused wood, lighter in colour than the oak, but with that ability to fit in seemingly anywhere. The larch chair would be our second choice.
The two most popular chairs and pine and birch. Lovely as they are (in very different ways!) it is the quality and dignity of a piece of oak that will be our first choice when choosing furniture for the garden.
There you have it then – the oak nordeck chair is our favourite, and it is steadily becoming more and more popular – we found it was our biggest seller this weekend at RHS Hyde Hall and the Wealden Fair.
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 …
Aesthetic Pruners Association – New Talk In December
An organisation I love and have been learning lots from in the last two years is the Aesthetic Pruners Association based in the USA. Sharing knowledge with them about clipping and the overlap – and differences! – in style is something worth exploring, so I recommend a visit to their website and to join onto their events and talks, which are all on Zoom meaning you can access them from anywhere in the world. No excuse not to learn! The next event will be led by Jocelyn Cohen and be about ancient trees in the British Landscape. This is such …
The Amelia Project – Episode 88: Didius Julianus
Friends of mine write a sitcom podcast called The Amelia Project (I wrote about this years ago, when they started it….!) December 2024 I had some fun playing the tiny part of Fornio in episode 88 – Didius Julianus. I have not listened to the episode yet, as I am clearly not an actor… and the thought of listening to my dulcet tones for the few minutes I’m in it just… makes me feel ill. But the recording and being in the studio was great fun, the real actors were hilarious and the script is brilliant – not just funny, …