THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Plants for a shady border… be aware, some can cope with deeper shade than others, but all are worthwhile garden plants. For more plants, try Dan Pearson’s list…
Scilla
Snowdrop
Narcissus
Leucojum
Liriope
Hakonechloa
Deschampsia
Foxgloves
Aquilegia
Honesty
Campion
Forget me not
Campanula
Clematis
Cephalaria
Thalictrum
Epimedium
Gillenia
Alchemilla
Hellebore
Japanese anemone
Trillium
Brunnera
Trollius
Bergenia
Tellima
Hosta
Pulmonaria
Aster
Primula
Rodgersia
Asarum
Kirengeshoma
Gallium
Convallaria
Buxus
Hydrangea
Daphne
Sarcococca
Ribes
Ilex
Rosa
Cherry
Polypodium
Dryopteris
For books on what plants to use for a shady border, try these…
Alan Titchmarsh How to Garden: Gardening in the Shade
Planting the Dry Shade Garden: The Best Plants for the Toughest Spot in Your Garden
And probably one of the best writers about gardens… Keith Wiley:
Topiary Teaching For 2026
A new year, so time to share a few thoughts on what I will be looking at doing with topiary, and the focus on teaching I would like to put in place, for 2026 and beyond. Above is Nandina, made by a student of ours from the European Boxwood and Topiary Society. She took a year to work on this, taking a plant not renowned for being a good topiary plant, but seeing what its weirdness is and what values it does have, then exploring and exploding those. I am thrilled by this. Not just this look for autumn. A …
Topiary Workshop 2026 at Waltham Place
The next topiary workshop I will be teaching is now live on the website and can be booked! Just visit Waltham Place to get a ticket for the Topiary Workshop I will be teaching on Friday September 4th at Waltham Place. Myself and Chris Poole of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society (Buxus expert! Like, he knows everything there is to know about the plant! So worth booking just to tap into his knowledge….!) will be teaching here for the… fifth year in a row I think? The garden is a beautiful place to spend time clipping. We will teach …
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 …