THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Partners
We work with a number of other businesses that can help provide us with the items you want. We are a resource for gardening, after all…
For plants we we work with Jersey Plants Direct – they also offer free delivery on plants and we like that.
Cut flower queries allow us to send you to the Queen of the home grown flower growers art, Sarah Raven. Use this resource she provides!
For gardening books where better is there to go than Amazon
For the computer we use we have partnered to work with Panda Security UK because you need anti-virus software to protect what you create.
For garden products we work with Garden Trading, Harrod Horticultural and Agriframes (who do frames for the garden, of course…)
Anything to do with ponds go to Pondkeeper.
Mowers and lawn care products can be found here at Rolawn, Lawn Mowers UK and Mow Direct.
For ecologically considered products we use Natural Collection. Please change how you shop and use them to.
You have to eat well – gardening burns a lot of calories – so do buy your food from Donald Russell and Pong Cheese. Yum!
Love Lula? We do, as they offer something unusual – vegan products. Our vegan friends need caring for to…
Home and office need a design spruce up? Try the fabulous Royal Design.
When you’re tired from a long day in the garden, we offer you a cup of tea… and a piece of chocolate!
And finally we partner with LED Hut for lighting…
Do make the most of these companies and use what they are offering!
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 …