Botanical art exhibition

What could be more special than the combination of an exhibition of botanical art and a horticultural flower show, all held in the stunning grounds of an historic house in South Yorkshire. The art exhibition room in the house at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse has been dressed with houseplants by GrowTropicals – a Leeds-based company who specialise in rare and unusual houseplants, aroids and succulents.

On display in the magnificent Stately Statuary Room

Petals and Paint, Stems and Stitches

Camellia donckelarii by Caroline Maria Applebee (c.1787-1854)

The Flower Paintings of Caroline Maria Applebee

Caroline Maria Applebee was a skilled amateur flower painter in the early 1800s. Though not widely known, her detailed paintings are a valuable record of garden plants that were popular around 200 years ago.

She was the daughter of a clergyman and moved to Colchester in 1825 after inheriting money. Her earliest known painting is from 1808, and over the next 40 years, she created more than 300 works. The variety of plants in her art suggests she either loved gardening, had access to large plant collections, or both.

In her time, flower painting was a popular and socially acceptable hobby for women, offering them a way to explore the growing interests in botany and horticulture. These paintings were purchased by the RHS from Miss Applebee’s descendants and are kept with over 30,000 other botanical artworks in the RHS Lindley Library in London.

• You can buy these beautiful prints at RHS Prints

Varieties of Phlox drummondii created by Caroline Maria Applebee (c.1787-1854)

The Embroideries

The embroideries in this display were created by members of the Richmond and Leyburn Creative Stitchers, an independent stitch group established in 1999. They meet twice a month to share and expand their creative knowledge in a friendly environment, working on a wide range of individual and community projects to foster the art of embroidery and related crafts.

The Library at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate have been working with the group since 2016. Their embroidery projects beautifully highlight the botanical world and are much admired by our visitors. This latest collaboration is inspired by the botanical paintings of Caroline Maria Applebee. Each embroiderer has skilfully created unique interpretations of her work, adding a personal touch to the project.

Campanula (Tropaeolum peregrinum) created by Caroline Maria Applebee (c.1778-1854)