THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Waltham Place in Maidenhead is one of my favourite gardens of all time. The philosophy is to garden with nature, rather than against, so improving the soil and growing a diverse range of plants is placed at the heart of how to manage the space.
Through the European Boxwood and Topiary Society I arranged a talk by the garden team at Waltham Place. It has been recorded and put on Youtube so if you missed it live, you can watch it there and get a feel for what they are doing.
There are some extraordinary photos of the garden alongside those who have worked in it (as well as those who didn’t care for it at all!) and it is all soundtracked by the birds in the garden, who were singing the whole time the talk was going on.
Just to prove that this way of gardening enhances life for so many creatures.
Do watch the talk on Waltham Place here on Youtube.
During the talk the garden team spoke about plants that were able to resist being predated by rabbit and deer. This is based on the list the designer and plantsman Henk Gerritsen (another favourite of mine, for his brilliant book Essay On Gardening) made when he came to work on the garden and give it some direction.
The list is below, so do take a look if you are after plants that are resilient to animals nibbling them…
- Cornus sibirica
- Romneya coulteri
- Euphorbia palustris
- Rheum palmatum ‘Atrosanguineum’
- Helleborus argutifolius
- Aconitum
- Bergenia
- Thalictrum
- Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Roseum’
- Cephalaria gigantea
- Miscanthus ‘Malepartus’
- Ranunculus aconitifolius
- Salvia glutinosa
Do visit Waltham Place if you get a chance (they do a walk with the gardener one day a week.) It is an extraordinary place.
And for more about me, see my topiary work here.
Topiary, The Art Garden at The Henderson
The Art Garden at The Henderson in Hong-Kong has now opened to the public. I joined the project last March, to work with Gillespies Landscape Architects on the topiary that had been designed for the Art Garden, which gives a calm, green space below the extraordinary Henderson skyscraper designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The garden has been designed with butterflies in mind, so lots of nectar plants, and has other art projects and installations within its footprint. The history of the site is interesting too – it was originally the first cricket ground in Hong-Kong! So still a green space….! …
ClipFest 2025
On Sunday June 22nd there will be Clipfest 2025 at Ichi-Coo Park in Surrey. It is a celebration of all things pruning and topiary, and I will be there in my capacity of teacher at the European Boxwood and Topiary Society to demonstrate tool cleaning and sharpening, and how to clip. Tickets can be found here on Eventbrite. We are hoping for great weather and to see lots of keen pruners getting their shears out and joining us at this amazing garden! And for more on topiary…
Secateur Holders
A present arrived from Norway today, from a student who visited last February to work with Chris Poole and I on learning topiary. His new hobby – a beautiful and neatly stitched secateur holder. Thrilled with this! The holder will save me keep losing my secatuers too…! Thank you Bernt! It was the same student who introduced me to the APA with whom I am doing a talk at the end of March. Tickets can be bought here for ‘Defining The Essence – Aesthetic Pruning in the Garden’. Do join the European Boxwood and Topiary Society for that!