THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Garden Jobs July
So many garden jobs in July. But the first garden job in July? Stop your weeding and mowing for a …
Verbena Bonariensis
We know we know – Verbena bonariensis is so well known, planted in so many gardens, that it has become uncool to use it these days. Its ubiquitiousness means it gets judged in harsher tones than other plants, as if its popularity has made it offensive. This is not the Verbena’s fault. It became popular for a reason – it weaves its way around the garden but doesn’t out compete other plants, it provides height and structure, encourages wildlife, is a gorgeous purple, looks good with other plants and fits into schemes as diverse as a country meadow to urban minimalism. Who wouldn’t want a …
The Perfect Garden
The perfect garden (or even worse, the perfect lawn!) is almost a badge of honour, something to be achieved and then shown off like a trophy on the mantelpiece. This search for perfection happens often in our lives – we seek the perfect word, the perfect skin, the perfect cup of tea. But the perfect garden is surely unachievable, if by perfect we mean ‘nothing out of place.’ Flawless. There will surely always be a corner that you haven’t had time to ‘tidy’ or ‘clean’… unless resources are seemingly unlimited… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8D2SYVaULw But what this does (beautiful as the space is) …
Mess
“What people somehow forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird This is the best advice we can give to anyone starting there first garden – don’t worry if it is a mess. It is so easy, when you move into a new house and suddenly have all this space to deal with (space that doesn’t stand still and let you catch up with it!) to begin planning for beautiful lawns, lots of roses, or a …