A stately home reopens for the new season this weekend with an exhibition that has been two years in the making.
Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley, is hosting "Nunnington through the seasons" by Rachel Dein, which celebrates the progress of the seasons in the hall’s garden.
It aims to capture the moment when a plant is at its most beautiful, before the end of its life-cycle and is the outcome of a two-year project.
In 2020, the National Trust invited Ms Dein to produce a collection of work inspired by the garden at Nunnington Hall, with its spring-flowering meadows, herbaceous borders, modest orchard, and productive vegetable garden. The garden has been managed fully organically since 2002, reviving traditional horticultural methods whilst embracing modern techniques and technology.
Ms Dein visited Nunnington to experience the garden for herself throughout the seasons, learn about the team’s gardening practices and influences, select plants for casting, and spend time with head gardener, Nick Fraser.
“It struck me how tough, tenacious, yet beautiful nature can be, and I realised that this was everything I wanted to express through my art," said Ms Dein. "Whether as small tiles of a single stem or as large complex panels suggesting a garden full of blooms or a wildflower meadow, my botanical castings reflect my desire to capture the ephemeral moment when a plant is at its most beautiful, most alive.”
Mr Fraser added: “It’s great to see 18 months of work come together to create such a fantastic exhibition. We’ve been sending plants to Rachel for over a year, all working on a project that explores the sanctity of life, forever captured in the beauty of flourishing plants and flowers. We’re excited to invite visitors to see this exhibition.”
The hall re-opens on Saturday. February 11, and will then be open Tuesday to Sunday until Sunday, December 21, from 10.30am to 4pm. Last admission will be 3.15pm.
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