THE MODERN MINT BLOG
The Design Process
A typical design process will go like this:
Job Specification – we will meet with all the users of the garden on-site and find out what you want, what you need and what potential scope your garden project has.
This is the most important part as it sets out clearly what a succesful project will feel like, and gets us in sync with you right from the start.
Survey – the structural basis of the design work.
Outline Design – initial concepts and ideas are presented, allowing for further discussion and development with you.
Final Design – Detailed plans and specifications are finalised in order to begin the work of constructing and planting your garden.
Construction and Project Management – our craftspeople will come in and make the design happen.
After Care – we will make sure you have all the advice and guidance in place to help your garden grow. We also hope that through the process of designing the garden you will end up a wiser, better informed and more involved garden owner. Now that makes it worthwhile for us!
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 …