RHS Botanicals

Drawing upon the beautifully detailed botanical illustrations by 17th century artist Pieter van Kouwenhoorn, our Tulips fabric design, with its intricate details and a rich but natural colour palette, evokes the vibrant energy of the Dutch Golden Age of the 1630s when the feverish excitement of Tulipomania swept across the land, igniting a passion for the captivating colours of these exotic blooms.

Cross continents to explore the botanical art of the Fast East with an enigmatic floral design depicting Magnolia and Chaenomeles taken from an undated album ‘Plantae Japonicae Icones’ bequeathed to the RHS Lindley Collections by botanist Reginald Cory in the 1930s. The individual artist is unknown, and the original watercolour may in fact be Chinese, likely to have originated in early 19th century Canton (now Guangzhou); perhaps brought to England following the onset of greater cultural exchange following the opening of borders in the middle of the century. This captivating design pays homage to the rich botanical heritage of Japan and China and the global interconnectedness of horticulture.

Ferns Toile is an evocative monotone print, reminiscent of a toile de jouy, which celebrates the feathery, frond-like structure of ferns. The intricate design is drawn from the illustrated front cover of an early 20th century plant catalogue held in the RHS Lindley Collections. This lovely piece of ephemera is from W. & J. Birkenhead, a specialist Fern Nursery from Sale, near Manchester, which for a time, was the biggest and best-known in the world. It opens a window onto the Victorians’ fascination with exotic ferns.

Foliage, the final design in the collection, is a gentle reminder of the graphic beauty to be found in individual specimen leaves, perfect for adding a touch of botanical beauty to any interior space.