THE MODERN MINT BLOG
It’s that time again, mild panic starts setting in … Christmas gift shopping time! You want to get something good, and not a standard gift you can get on the high street. You want something a little different, something that looks like you’ve put some effort in!! Modern Mint is here to help you with our countdown to the top 10 gifts for garden lovers that are slightly unusual.
At number 10 is a perfect stocking filler – seedballs! Small and in a beautiful designed tin. These come in 5 different varieties, from £4.50. If you want to bulk buy for a corporate gift or you have a lot of friends emails us on shop@modernmint.co.uk for a bulk buy option!
Number 9 The bronze look is everywhere at the moment for interior trends, but why not for the garden also? The Castor trowel at £32 and Nunki weeder at £27 are great looking tools. But there is more to them than their beauty, there is logic behind the use of bronze and cooper in gardening tools. Experiments carried out after the Second World War by an Austrian named Viktor Schauberger showed when used on the land, there was a marked improvement in productivity.
Number 8 Know someone who loves the scandi-cool look? Then go for the Nordeck chair … its sleek design speaks for itself. Prices start at £122.
Number 7 The Mouillere Overshoe (£39.99) from our friends in France. Luc who invented the shoe is the best person to tell us about his shoe – check out this video!
Number 6 Know a keen cook but not such a great gardener? A Grow Your Own Pizza Kit (£11.99) is the perfect addition to the window sill. 
Number 5 Do you know a stud muffin or a queen bee (or perhaps a fun guy)?
Number 3 A reminder of a recent holiday to Thailand? A hint that you like a good pad thai or green curry? Introducing the Thai Curry Plant Gift Set (£46)!
Number 2 Low maintenance and beautiful to look at. These terrariums come in a range of styles and even some seasonal baubles … bit different than tinsel don’t you think?
And our Number 1 is … the giant bean bag! Its come in an array of great colours. Perfect as extra seating when the house gets full and in the summer great for sunbathing on!
Head to the Modern Mint Shop for many more gift ideas!
Modern Topiary, the Book, at Garden Media Guild
My book about topiary, Modern Topiary, has been mentioned on the Garden Media Guild newsletter…. As the screenshot says, the book can be read for free online here. At the bottom of the screenshot, it looks like another Garden Media Guild member has a book out called ‘A Year In A Cottage Garden’…. so if that is where your garden heart lies, check that out too! And at the top of the screenshot, it looks like I was listening to Pelleas et Melisande, by Debussy. What a classy chap I am, listening to classical music as I reply to emails. …
Start of the Whitby Topiary Library
I have been offered a space here in the centre of Whitby, south-facing aspect, with some raised beds in, so that I can make a Topiary Library. In my head, a topiary library is a place to showcase the common (and then not so common) shapes you can make out of topiary. With classical topiary plants, as well as some more unusual pieces. This Topiary Library can act as a reference for people to learn more about pruning and clipping. The space is small but the aspect is great and the beds are deep enough to put some plants in. …
Delivery After Dark – From the Makers of The Amelia Project
Last week I spent most nights stood in cold water streams on the moors of North Yorkshire, helping to film a new project called Delivery After Dark from the makers of the Amelia Project. I worked on the Amelia Project back at the end of 2024, lending my terrible vocal talents to a small part in the episode Didius Julianus. But this project is something new – and exciting! – and thankfully only needed me to be filmed, rather than to actually say anything. But not only did I have to stand in cold moving water at midnight, I also …