THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Hypertufa High Jinks
The Chelsea Fringe is about all things gardening, but that doesn’t mean you always have to be outside. One of …
Furzelea, Essex, NGS
Today Modern Mint visited another garden in Essex that was open for the NGS (last week was Ulting Wick.) The garden is designed and looked after by owner of the house Avril and her husband, who nowadays is chief pruner – for example, on this lovely yew ‘blob’… how we love to see shapes like these (especially next to a wilder or more chaotic planting…!) Imagine cloud pruning this (yew is forgiving, should you get it wrong!) What a fun days work, a physical and mental exercise, training your patience and your creative eye… if the shears you used for cloud pruning …
National Nurseries Week
From May 1st – May 7th we will be supporting Britain’s specialist nurseries. Why? Because it is National Nurseries Week! For more information go to the British Plant and Nursery Guide and help celebrate the best independent, specialist nurseries Britain has. Look out though – you will probably come away with a plant or two…! Some of our favourite nurseries… 1) Penwood Nurseries, Berkshire 2) Phoenix Perennial Plants, Hampshire 3) Marchants Hardy Plants If you have anymore suggestions for your favourite nurseries, send us a tweet! Recommended Reading (the Marina Christopher book a huge favourite of ours): Late Summer Flowers So You Want …
Val Bourne’s 5 Golden Rules of Planting
For those of you who missed the Gardens Illustrated piece, here are five pieces of advice by ‘Natural Gardener’ Val Bourne. You can’t go far wrong if you stay close to these… 1) Plant diversely and densely – using trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, ferns, bulbs and grasses. 2) Have flowers throughout the year – particularly early on, to help sustain bumble and solitary bees. 3) Only grow what suits your soil and enhances your setting. 4) Only grow plants that are worth a place in your garden. 5) Put your plants in the right place – this basic approach helps avoid disease. The …