THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Just before Christmas last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger (of Mr Universe, Terminator, Governor of California fame… you’ve heard of him, right?) posted a short essay on Facebook about climate change. It was titled:
I don’t give a **** if we agree about climate change
A fantastic, emotive title, but even better is what he had to say in the post – he refused to spend the time debating with naysayers who didn’t believe in climate change. Just took this waste of time and energy arguing about ‘the facts’ right out of the equation.
“To use one of the four-letter words all of you commenters love, I don’t give a damn if you believe in climate change. I couldn’t care less if you’re concerned about temperatures rising or melting glaciers. It doesn’t matter to me which of us is right about the science.”
By wiping the table clean, he could focus on what was important – that if we wish to continue living the lives we do, we need clean, renewable energy.
He then insists it is time to invest in a clean energy future, and backs it up with the simplest way to win any political argument – by quoting how much money can be made/saved by changing to renewable energy sources.
You can’t argue with the numbers!
Schwarzenegger’s essay is a masterpiece. Not just because it supports an idea we think is important and are emotionally invested in, but because he changes the terms of engagement and concentrates on the heart of the matter – making change.
He is one interesting and smart man (oh yes!) and at Modern Mint we salute the work he is doing to help the planet.
To read the whole essay you can visit Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Facebook page here.
To see how a farm in the UK is combating climate change, read our blog post on Wild Farming at Village Farm.
To turn your garden into a sustainable haven, there is only one book you need – How To Create an Eco Garden by John Walker, the earth friendly gardener.
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 …