THE MODERN MINT BLOG
The Vegan Gardener is a new book by the brilliant garden writer John Walker, who you may better know as The Earth Friendly Gardener.
I came across John’s work and writing years ago now, and was always struck by his passion and how directly he follows his instinct for using gardening as a way to better the world.
His approach to living on this earth may be soft, light… but his writing is the opposite – hard, useful, straight talking advice on improving soils, not wasting sunlight and balancing garden predators with those who ‘prey’ on your plants.
I interviewed John for this blog and he spoke about how he began making his ‘bracken-riddled’ garden in North Wales. Please do take a read here.
Or go buy his new book – The Vegan Gardener – to learn how to use vegan-organic techniques to be as friendly as possible to the planet.
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 …