THE MODERN MINT BLOG
A fantastic programme on the BBC with Wendell Berry.
Listen now to this excellent programme: Wendell Berry, The Natural World
He discusses the importance of our soils, reads an incredibly depressing poem, asks that we create good work by taking responsibility for doing a ‘specific something’, and explains how, “we are living in an economy that doesn’t value nature whatsoever….”
Which ties us in nicely with this report on the BBC today, about the worst offending products on the market for being non-recyclable.
The ridiculous notion suggested in the report that we can place a projector in our fridges, to project an image of a brand of food onto the plain, environmentally friendlier packaging, makes us so mad. We love the Modern Mint branding, 3 simple circles, but there is no way we would want it projected onto a packet.
It is either there, or it isn’t. Who cares either way? The important part of your ‘brand’ is whether you turn up, have values that you uphold, be nice to people and keep promises.
The logo is nothing compared to what you do.
(Mini rant over.)
For more about how important our soils are, and how your garden can become a carbon sink, see this project for the Chelsea Fringe 2017.
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 …
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 …