BEDGEBURY ‘The Art of Trees’ An outdoor exhibition by the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium Society

Spring and summer 2019 • Celebrating the work of • the National Pinetum • Showcasing the beauty • and diversity of its trees •

Contributing Florilegium members: Pearl Bostock (Chair) Anne Manktelow Helen Hiorns Jackie Copeman Jane Langridge Julia Groves Julie Spyropoulos Louisa Bailey Suggested Margaret Brooker £1 donation Sandra Fernandez www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk Susan Conroy Thank you… It is important to recognise that an outdoor exhibition of this complexity succeeds only Welcome with the support of a team of talented artists and highly-skilled digital and design Welcome to this 2019 edition of the Friends’ magazine, the show catalogue for The professionals. Art of Trees, Bedgebury’s spring and summer outdoor art exhibition. As the exhibition explains, the premise behind botanic art is one of detail and accuracy; In this, the Forestry Commission’s centenary year, what better way to celebrate than this ethos must continue long after the paintbrush has been laid down. Digital scanning with a unique and dramatic art exhibition set amongst the National Pinetum’s stunning is not an activity to be underestimated, as we explain on pages 4 and 5. Without the tree collection. Art4site team, the original artworks would not have been scanned and colour-matched to such a high standard. Fraser Allen, our designer, then took the minutely-accurate The Art of Trees is no ordinary art exhibition. The images have been created using digital copies of the artists’ work and successfully brought each category of image artworks painted by the volunteer artists of the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium Society, together to create composite digital images that are both beautiful and eye-catching, the only florilegium society in Forestry England. A florilegium is a group of talented yet true to the botanic tradition. Fraser also designed this show catalogue to enable us artists who create beautiful and botanically accurate drawings of trees and to tell Bedgebury’s visitors the stories behind the images. Both Fraser and Art4site Ltd from living samples. Modern day florilegia are continuing a tradition that dates back have worked incredibly hard to support this project and we are very proud to have many centuries, playing a crucial role recording the tree and collections of botanic them on the team. gardens around the world: records that will remain valid and important for the next 100 years and beyond. Bedgebury’s Florilegium comprises eleven carefully selected artists, and it is their talent that has inspired this exhibition. Through their paintings we hope to share the role, purpose, diversity and importance of the National Pinetum at Bedgebury and celebrate its globally significant tree collection. This catalogue is your guide to the exhibition in the Pinetum. It reveals the Bedgebury stories that have inspired the images and introduces the artists who Contents have spent two years painting the extraordinary art on display. It is difficult to overstate their talent, commitment and hard work in bringing this exhibition to life. Welcome...... 1 Katherine Jary The history of botanic art...... 2 Artists’ process...... 4 ...... 6 Cones...... 8 The life cycle of the Mulanje cedar...... 10 The tree outline...... 14 Bark...... 16 Fruits...... 18 Editor: Katherine Jary Exhibition map...... 20 Designer: Fraser Allen​ Needles...... 22 Images: The Bedgebury Pinetum The Forestry Commission was established in 1919 to help replenish the Florilegium Society The panda of the plant world...... 24 nation’s timber reserve which was almost completely depleted in the war effort. While productive forestry is still an important part of their role, they Broadleaves...... 26 Image narratives: Chantelle Jay​ are now England’s largest landowner and welcome more than 226 million Flowers...... 28 Proof reading: Cath Weeks, visits to their forests every year. Forestry England is part of the Forestry Elspeth Hill, John Gordon, The Franklin tree...... 30 Commission, which is marking its centenary in 2019. Find out more by visiting Mina McPhee and Index of images and species...... 34 Sarah Harrington-James. forestryengland.uk/100.

The Dallimore Valley skyline, from an original watercolour by Anne Manktelow 1 Image 1 which withstood the extreme climates better than watercolours. We’ve paired the picture “My training encouraged of Marianne with her wonderful painting a lifelong concern for our The history of botanic art of redwoods. She was determined to bring natural environment.” her work to the public, who must have been Margaret Brooker We are delighted to be able to share the detail of many of the beautiful and rare trees to amazed by the vivid images in her gallery be found at Bedgebury National Pinetum through the work of our Florilegium. Our artists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. hope to inspire you, just as they have been inspired by painters throughout history. Botanic art and illustration continues today with artists blending scientific accuracy with their own recognisable styles. This art form has gone from strength to strength. Nowadays florilegium societies often record the collections of the botanic gardens with which they are associated. Our Florilegium plays an important role by capturing fleeting moments in time of some of the rare trees here at Bedgebury. We want to showcase the importance and beauty of our artists’ work and place it in the Pinetum surrounded by the trees that inspired it.

Marianne North at her easel, circa 1883 View in a Redwood Forest, California, painted by ©Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Marianne North ©Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew “Since childhood I’ve loved making Artists have painted plants for centuries and not just to create a picture for a wall. In the and looking at pictures. Illustrations sixteenth century, when physic gardens with their beds of healing plants were popular, by famous artists, in the Victorian they drew the plants as a way of recording their culinary and medicinal uses rather than for and Edwardian magazines that aesthetic purposes. Detailed plant illustrations were printed in medical books. Their purpose shifted from ‘health’ to ‘exotic’ with the era of the plant hunters when new and exciting plant my father collected, were endlessly species were being discovered around the globe. Now artists were recording these new fascinating as everything had to be discoveries, fuelling a demand for the plants in Europe. In this heyday of plant collecting, conveyed purely in black and white.” it became fashionable for landed gentry to introduce new species into their estates, and Margaret Brooker record their collections in a series of illustrations called a ‘florilegium’. These paintings were drawn with scientific accuracy, often on a plain background in watercolours or ink. Above: Wollemi pine Wollemia nobilis from In some cases the plants were painted in their countries of origin. Marianne North was a an original watercolour local lady, born in Hastings, who became an intrepid Victorian traveller who painted plants by Margaret Brooker in their natural surroundings. You can see her here at her easel, painting in oil, a medium 2 3 Image 2 Florilegia create accurate representations it was scanned by a specialist scanning of their subjects, including their company, Art4site Ltd, who reviewed imperfections, showing the botanical the scanned image against the actual Artists’ process elements. This separates the work of painting to ensure that the colour balance botanical artists from that of floral painters and resolution were perfect. These digital The artwork in the exhibition took more than two years to create and thousands of who simply aim to create aesthetically records were then stored by the Friends hours to paint. To bring this exhibition to you our Florilegium first worked closely with pleasing images. Each botanical painting of Bedgebury Pinetum and catalogued Bedgebury’s Collections Manager, Dan Luscombe, to decide on the tree specimens includes the scale or magnification; by a member of the Florilegium, Jackie to capture on paper. The artists visited their chosen trees at exactly the right times knowing the size of the specimen helps to Copeman. This careful listing, which throughout the year, perhaps to see the flowers in bloom, to find cones (of all ages) or to ensure that the painting can be used as a matched the images with their scan collect seeds. scientific record. numbers and names, helped graphic designer, Fraser Allen, to compile the Each painting required detailed observation. Florilegium Chair, and the society’s Once the artists were happy with their artworks and paintings into these fabulous founder member, Pearl Bostock explains: “I used my sketchbook to note the main work, it went through the official approval exhibition images. tree details and added colour swatches, before I even planned my composition on stages of the Florilegium, with a peer paper. I used watercolour, building up colour washes, then adding the details and review by a highly regarded botanic artist We are delighted to share the final result deeper colours.” and a final nod from Dan Luscombe on of this hard work with you in this outdoor its botanical accuracy. The work didn’t exhibition. stop there. Once a painting was complete

You can buy limited edition prints of the original artworks you will see on display. To find out how, or to view other artworks by the artists in our Florilegium, e-mail: [email protected] or visit: https://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/home/bedgebury-florilegium/

“As a fine art reprographer and giclée printer, one of our most rewarding daily challenges is dealing with the peculiarities of colour. It’s such an elusive subject and immensely important to the failure or success of a scan and print.” Art4site Ltd

“When working with Bedgebury… we make painstaking efforts to control colour, going into fastidious detail in order to achieve a faithful representation of the artwork. Getting it right in print is a challenge and a learnt skill.” Art4site Ltd 4 5 Image 3 “I like to look past the obvious and discover something unique and interesting; to find something appealing and exciting. The Seeds challenge is to make others see what I am seeing.” Susan Conroy Seeds are travellers in time and space, the Dr Who of the plant world! Remaining viable for years under the right conditions, their effective dispersal mechanisms allow them to colonise new territories away from the parent tree. They come in all shapes and sizes. The Florilegium have captured their diversity here, painting a Above: Horse chestnut Aesculus range of seeds from broadleaf and trees hippocastanum from an original in the Pinetum. Size isn’t important - the tallest tree on watercolour by Susan Conroy the planet, the coast redwood, comes from one of the smallest seeds. Despite looking different, seeds all do the same job, containing all of the genetic information needed to make a new tree, held in a safe package. Seeds are the start of the conservation process at Bedgebury. Saving rare trees is about trying to preserve as much genetic variation as possible, which means collecting seeds from wild trees. That’s why the team at Bedgebury collects seeds from trees in their native habitats, leading or joining expeditions as far away as Tasmania, Japan and the USA. These expeditions are undertaken in partnership with other organisations around the world, to share the resources, information and cost. The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum play a crucial role in funding these expeditions for Bedgebury. Right: Hornbeam Carpinus betulus from an original watercolour by Susan Conroy Conservation doesn’t stop at collecting the seeds. It is the job of the nursery team at Bedgebury to ensure that some of the seeds germinate and grow into trees that can be “I like the achievement of creating planted in the Pinetum. The remaining seeds are stored for posterity, as a back-up, by partner organisations like the Millennium Bank Partnership. something out of nothing, from a blank piece of paper to a pleasing image.” To find out more about some of Bedgebury’s Friends’-funded seed-collecting Susan Conroy expeditions, visit: https://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/the-pinetum/. Future expeditions depend on the continued support of Bedgebury’s members and sponsors. Find out how you can make a difference to Bedgebury’s tree conservation efforts by visiting: https://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/memberships/

6 7 Image 4 take a look at the index for this image on page 35. The paintings provide a scientific record of one of the most useful features for tree identification; the cones in some families are very difficult to tell apart so these meticulous paintings are a valuable guide. Cones The in-house cone collection at Bedgebury has specimens from all over the world. Last year, The iconic symbol of the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum is a cone and in general they are the learning team and volunteers at Bedgebury showed its cones to numerous schools as some of the most striking elements of . Everyone loves a cone, whether for its part of their learning programmes, and to thousands of visitors at family events. beauty or childhood memories of making Christmas decorations, but we rarely stop to think about its importance to the tree. Cones are essential for pollination, seed production and seed dispersal. Conifers produce both male and female cones in the spring. Although the male cones are small they can produce clouds of pollen which the spring breezes carry to the female cones. The developing female cones protect the seeds. After a year or more the seeds are ready to fly and, when the conditions are right, the woody cones open to release them. These structures are in the very best position on the tree for effective release into the wind, often high up in a prominent position on the branches. The dropped cones that you find on the ground on your forest walks have done their job, and are now ready to be used for your children’s craft projects. This image highlights the diversity of structure and size; from the tiny cones of the South Esk pine to the resinous cones of the East Himalayan fir. Even the yew ‘berry’ is a fleshy cone, called an ‘aril’, that partially surrounds the poisonous seed. To see which ones we mean,

“I am inspired by the historical and contemporary traditions of botanical art and employ both traditional and non-traditional techniques.” Julia Groves

“As an ‘ethnobotanical artist’, I am passionate about the relationships between plants and people.” Julia Groves

Above: Hawthorn maple Acer crataegifolium from an original watercolour by Jackie Copeman 8 9 Image 5 “I knew I was hooked on botanical art when instead of eating my The life cycle of salad I was studying the curves and colours of the leaves and the Mulanje cedar planning a painting.” This image, from artworks painted by Anne Manktelow, is of a single seedling of the Anne Manktelow Mulanje cedar (Widdringtonia whytei) and shows the development of a tiny seed into a healthy seedling. In contrast to the other images it shows the young seedlings above and below ground, with their extensive root systems. This is really important to the story behind this tree. The Mulanje cedar, the national tree of Malawi, comes from Mulanje Mountain and is now almost extinct in the wild. Over-exploitation of the tree for its valuable, durable timber has also led to soil erosion and water run-off issues, and it is at risk of extinction if action is not taken now. the seedlings in minute detail as they International conservation develop, just as this series of paintings projects can sometimes make a from Anne illustrates. The nursery team huge difference and partnership will be watching them closely to see working is vital. Bedgebury what conditions best suit them. They has an important international want healthy trees that have a strong reputation for propagation root structure that will help the cedar to expertise. As a result, Botanic re-establish itself on Mulanje Mountain. Gardens Conservation It isn’t possible to grow the trees outside International invited Bedgebury in the open in Britain as the conditions to get involved in a special don’t suit them, which is why the work in project which aims to replant the nursery is so important. A key part of and restore cedar populations the project is the transfer of knowledge on Mulanje Mountain. This gained by Dan and his team in the UK to is a substantial collaboration the foresters in Malawi. which also involves the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust To find out more about and the Forest Research Institute Bedgebury’s role in the ‘Save our of Malawi. Cedar’ project, read the Malawi Understanding how a tree edition of the Friends’ magazine: grows is crucial to the success https://bedgeburypinetum. of a rescue project. Bedgebury’s org.uk/memberships/ nursery team planted the magazine/2018-and-past-issues/ “Like most botanical artists I seeds in the glasshouse in a am inspired by the intricacies special type of pot, called an and variety of the natural air pot, which encourages root Right: Mulanje cedar Widdringtonia whytei from an world.” Anne Manktelow growth. The team are studying original watercolour by Anne Manktelow 10 11 Bedgebury staff have worked with thousands of schoolchildren, opening their eyes to conservation, trees and the outdoors. The Mulanje cedar school workshops project in 2017 and 2018 was one example of this work in action. Why not visit Bedgebury with your school or group? Choose from a range of learning programmes, with options for every budget. 0300 067 4474 [email protected]

12 13 Image 6 are scattered across the site, the spread of tree health problems, such as red band needle blight, can be prevented. Bedgebury works with the Forest Research team who study the spread of pests and diseases across The tree outline all Forestry England’s woodlands. By helping their scientists, Bedgebury can play their part in protecting trees for the future. The tree team have Florilegium artists often include a drawing exception. The skill of the painters allows nurtured many of the Pinetum’s trees since they were seedlings in the of the whole tree as part of their botanical individual trees in the landscape to stand nursery, so they really care about the health of their ‘babies’. painting. When they paint the parts of the out in a way that can’t be captured in a 2D tree they also want to show the sum of all photograph. Have a look at the Scots pine Dan discussing a the parts. Here you can see the fine detail silhouette on the image and see if you specimen taken of a stunning Scots pine illustrated by Pearl can spot a tree with a similar shape in the for painting with Bostock. Experts can identify a type of tree skyline as you walk along the path. the Chair of the just from its outline and conifers are no Landscaping is an important Bedgebury Pinetum element of the Pinetum’s Florilegium Society, work. An illustrative Pearl Bostock. reminder of tree shape can help the tree team to predict how the landscape will look in the future.

We tend to think of conifers as all looking the same in a forest; a monoculture. However, this is not the case. One of the Pinetum’s Dan Luscombe, Bedgebury’s Collections Manager, had a aims is to showcase the clear vision for each composite image in this exhibition. He variety of conifer species. The Pinetum’s trees are was most passionate about the purpose of this particular therefore situated both to image with its more complex message. Dan said: “Consider maximise their chance of the shape or silhouette of some of Bedgebury’s key tree success and to increase species: oak, monkey puzzle, hemlock, Scots pine or Lawson the site’s aesthetic appeal. cypress. The shape of each is so distinctive that you need A pleasing skyline is really important for the no further clues for its identification. Planted with thought, landscaping of the site; Bedgebury’s spectacular trees are the structural elements it can take your breath that give the Pinetum landscape its well-recognised views away and transport your and vistas. You know exactly where you are from these imagination elsewhere. shapes alone. However, with colour and texture layered In addition to how it looks, on from their bark, leaves, fruits and cones, and with the mixed planting can also seasons to deliver ever-changing variety, every Pinetum help to prevent the spread scene is as beautiful as it is distinctive because of the shape of pests and diseases.

If trees of the same type of the trees.” Right: Wellingtonia Sequoiadendron giganteum from an original line drawing by Pearl Bostock 14 15 Image 7 Left: Snake bark maple Acer pensylvanicum from an original watercolour by Bark Sandra Fernandez

The six Florilegium artists who painted these striking artworks captured each tree’s bark in all its beauty. You can see the variety of colours, textures and patterns from the English oak to the Tibetan cherry. They almost look 3D; paintings can show the subject in ways that photos can’t. Have you ever looked carefully at bark? Why don’t you stop at the next tree, touch it and notice the textures. Take your time to look, just as the Florilegium did in the 30 hours or more that they spent painting each image. The bark is something that is visible on the tree all year round. In the winter therefore, it is a key identifying feature of trees and adds beauty and visual interest to the Pinetum landscape. Bark has an important function in protecting the tree. Just as you wear a coat to protect yourself against the elements, bark is the coat for the tree. Similarly, as our “I hope that my art will enable coats can have additional protection, the bark may have added extras, like resins and tannins, which can protect people to appreciate that even against the elements and pests and diseases. The bark something as apparently mundane of different trees may have adapted in different ways. The as bark, a thistle or a pine cone is bark of the coast redwood is spongy, and up to 10 cm thick, actually a thing of exquisite beauty.” which protects it against forest fires and lightning strikes. Helen Hiorns Keep an eye out for bare sections of bark which show which Bedgebury trees have been hit by lightning.

Did you know? Bark is also home to lichens and mosses, particularly The frames for the on the north side of the trunk. This can be a useful clue images are made for navigation. Small creatures also make their homes of timber from in the bark. So looking after Bedgebury’s trees protects Pinetum trees! whole ecosystems. Above: Katsura tree Cercidiphyllum japonicum from an original watercolour by Helen Hiorns 16 17 Image 8 Fruits Bedgebury is world famous for its stunning collection of conifers, but the Pinetum has over 1,800 tree species, including broadleaf trees. Fruit-bearing trees add further to the variety in the Pinetum, helping to showcase the​ conifers and creating an environment for wildlife to thrive. As Bedgebury is open 364 days a year, the variety of species grown also enables Bedgebury to offer a beautiful setting for you to enjoy all year round. The Florilegium have really captured this variety at Bedgebury, with the bright berries of the Chinese crab apple, hawthorn and beautyberry, and the rich colours of the horse and sweet chestnuts. Even the camouflaged green fruits of the tulip tree and hickory are depicted beautifully. The Florilegium worked hard to capture these specimens before they lost their fullness and colour; you can almost feel the textures. Another way to preserve fruit! All fruits contain seeds, including our typical ‘fruit bowl’ examples as well as wild fruits, berries and nuts. These autumn berries and nuts provide food for wildlife, and the trees help to create varied habitats. This is really as they look after wildlife as well as trees and people. The artists had to be in the right important to Forestry England place at the right time to get their specimens before the squirrels!

Left: Beautyberry Callicarpa bodinieri from an original watercolour by Sandra Fernandez

“I love the precision demanded by botanical painting and the way it forces me to notice the colours and finest details in the plants I’m painting.” Louisa Bailey

Left: Chinese crab apple Malus hupehensis from an original watercolour by Louisa Bailey

18 19 t rs North u h d u o G

o Exhibition T Bedgebury National Pinetum map Key Churchill Wood Route

Gate Marshal’s Lake The Visitor Centre Leyland Toilet cypress 8 hedge Easy access toilet Forest plots for most wheelchair users 7 (site of trials and future conifer Cafe conservation plantings) Picnic area 9 6 Forest office B2079 The Walled Information Garden Events arena 10 Parking Dwarf conifers 0 200 400m collection 4 5 Yew collection 11 3 Thuja Hill’s Avenue National Cycle collection Glory Hole Network Route 18

2 Lawson cypress 12 collection Image number and title:

1 Lady Mildred's Carriage Drive Leyland cypress 1 The history of botanic art collection 2 Artists’ process 13 3 Seeds 4 Cones Education Overflow area 5 The life cycle of the Mulanje cedar car park Visitor Centre To the 6 The tree outline forest 7 Bark The exhibition route is 1.1 miles 8 Fruits long. It follows surfaced paths, 9 Needles Main and gradients are gentle 10 The panda of the plant world entrance apart from a relatively steep 11 Broadleaves and uneven downhill section 12 Flowers 13 The Franklin tree To A21 between images 4 and 5.

20 21 To play trail and Go Ape Image 9 that they lose less water than broad, flat deciduous conifers have soft green leaves. This tends to mean that conifers needles in the spring which turn rich, can hold onto their needles year-round. fiery colours in the autumn, adding to the Needles However, there are some exceptions variety of seasonal colour at Bedgebury. that do drop their needles: the swamp Which conifer would you choose for your The ‘leaves’ of conifer trees have evolved The Florilegium have painted an accurate cypress, larch and dawn redwood. These garden: evergreen or deciduous? into narrow shapes, hence their name recording of some of the specimens found ‘needles’. Most of us consider only one in the Pinetum. This accuracy helps to type of needle, namely that on our pinpoint exactly which species of conifer Christmas tree and whether it will drop or the needle has come from. The shape, not. However, as you can see here, there is size, and the way that they are bundled a huge diversity in their characteristics. together are all important. Pine needles are grouped in bunches of ones, twos, Sandra Fernandez, who studied the threes and fives, whilst firs and spruces celerytop pine, said: “Until I had the have single needles, and cypresses are chance to paint at Bedgebury, I never made up of overlapping scales. The thought I would encounter so much ancient Gingko biloba tree is in a family of variety amongst conifers to inspire me…” its own but is more closely related to the Below: Maidenhair tree conifers than the broadleaves, so we have Gingko biloba from an original watercolour by Louisa Bailey included its leaf here alongside its relatives. The veins of the gingko leaf form a beautiful fan shape. Louisa Bailey painted two versions of this ancient leaf type and, as we couldn’t decide between them, we included both! They really show the seasonal colour of the gingko. Although there is diversity in the “I am attracted more to the appearance of the wonderful forms and structures needles, they all have the found in nature than I am to colour.” same function: they are the Sandra Fernandez ‘factories’ that make food for the plant during photosynthesis. Needles and scales give conifers the edge over their broadleaf cousins in cold and arid climates. Their shape means

Left: “I like finding more expressive ways to visualise the natural Celerytop pine Phyllocladus world around me, conveying a more personal response to my aspleniifolius from an subject rather than a purely accurate study.” Sandra Fernandez original watercolour by Sandra Fernandez 22 23 Image 10 Pearl’s fine, detailed work brings out elements which are often difficult to see; it focusses the mind and aids identification. The paintings capture individual moments and present them together in a finished painting. These are the features which show The panda of the plant world the whole life cycle, impossible to capture in a single photo. Cathaya argyrophylla is the panda of the plant world; in fact it is rarer than the panda, Speaking about her experience of painting such a rare tree at Bedgebury, Pearl although both are classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as said: “I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to study something so rare, so ‘vulnerable’ in their native habitat in China. By growing it here in the Pinetum we prevent closely, and over such a long period of time.” it from disappearing completely. Happily, this is a conservation success story for Bedgebury, as this is the first place in Britain where the tree species has ever produced “The Victorian art critic, cones. Since then the Bedgebury team has managed to grow several seedlings in the nursery on site. Any seeds that the Pinetum’s trees produce can be seed-banked and John Ruskin, expresses my shared as Bedgebury is part of the International Conifer Conservation Programme co- aim better than I can: ordinated by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. ‘…to stay what is fleeting, To conserve any tree species effectively it is essential to understand every stage of its and to enlighten what life cycle. Having a record of the different stages is particularly important: to hold for the is incomprehensible, to future, to share with other arboreta and to train Bedgebury’s apprentices. Artist Pearl incorporate the things that Bostock has painstakingly captured every stage of this tree’s development through the year. Dan Luscombe and his tree team advised Pearl so that she could be in the right have no measure, and place at the right time to see the different stages emerge. immortalise the things that Pearl’s paintings focus in depth on the stages of the life cycle. She has captured short- have no duration.’” Pearl Bostock lived elements like the male and female conifer ‘flowers’ that may only be present for a few weeks during pollination. In this detailed and intricate image you can see both a developing and mature female cone.

“Sitting as a small child in a meadow outside my grandmother’s cottage, I was amazed by the tiny flowers surrounding me and so I developed, in those early years, an appreciation of the wonder and beauty of the plant world.” Pearl Bostock

Cathaya Cathaya argyrophylla from an original watercolour by Pearl Bostock

24 25 Image 11 Broadleaves Members of the Florilegium paint examples of the trees in the Pinetum throughout the year, thereby providing a permanent record of every aspect of the collection. Although Bedgebury specialises in conifers, almost 30% of Bedgebury’s trees and shrubs are broadleaf trees. Broadleaves add to the overall tree diversity, providing a greater variety of colour, height, texture and aroma for you to enjoy, whichever season you visit. We don’t often look at leaves until the autumn, although they can be the biggest area of the tree that you see. The range of colours throughout the year can be quite amazing, from the delicate spring green of the new leaf, to the vibrant colour of the autumn leaves. Some of the trees are specifically planted for their autumn interest, like the sweetgums and maples. You can see some beautiful examples of leaves on this image showing the different colours and leaf structures. Within the Pinetum you may find that some leaves not only look good, but have a rich aroma too, like the enticing katsura tree whose fallen leaves smell of toffee apple in the autumn. Why not find your favourite spot and take the opportunity to stop, relax and soak up the atmosphere around you; using all of your senses you can really connect to the trees. If you managed that, well done, you have just tried ‘forest bathing’. How often do you get a chance to stop in the hustle and bustle of everyday life? The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum offer an annual membership so that you can come back as many times as you like throughout the year to enjoy the Pinetum and make the most of the health benefits of being outdoors. Right: American sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua from an original watercolour by Jane Langridge

“The essence of botanical painting for me is a calm meditative space where any problems I am dealing with in life can be paused and the body can quieten and become still.” Jane Langridge

Tibetan whitebeam Sorbus thibetica from an original watercolour by Margaret Brooker 26 27 Image 12 Flowers Botanical art is not just about creating a pretty picture, although of course the artists hope that you enjoy what you see. It is a record of the specimen exactly as it is, rather than a representation of an ideal. Showcasing the flowers individually highlights their variety, beauty and exact structures. Painting the images in isolation, on a plain background, helps to highlight some of the less obvious flowers, which are often overlooked. Would you notice the small yellow flowers of the maple on a spring walk? Deciding how to represent the blooms is very much down to the artist, although they have to follow strict guidelines within botanical art. In some cases the specimens are represented in cross-section or in different planes in order to give a better understanding of the floral structures, as you can see from the witch hazel. Some contemporary botanical artists paint flowers against their leaves to frame the subject, as is the case with the pale Chinese crab apple and Japanese stewartia flowers. You can imagine that they would have been difficult to see without the leaves if our designer, Fraser Allen, had chosen a lighter background. To see which flowers we mean, take a look at the index for this image on page 41. The ephemeral nature of the subjects makes these flowers a challenge to paint in a tight timescale. Chantelle Jay, a Forestry England Learning Coordinator, has been “Botanical art is, for me, the perfect meeting with the Florilegium whilst writing the catalogue text. She says: “It amazes opportunity to celebrate the colour me that the ladies can place the most exquisite painting in front of us, and still and form of plants and to observe wonder if it is finished. This is when the critique and reassurance from the group closely the detail necessary for shines through and the artist can step back and see their painting in all of its accurate representation.” splendour, as we can.” Now you’ve enjoyed the image, we hope that you will enjoy the colours and scents of these flowers for yourselves when you find them in the Pinetum. Julie Spyropoulos

“My need to paint is driven by a love of colour.” Julie Spyropoulos

Above: Japanese stewartia Stewartia pseudocamellia from an Right: Rhododendron Rhododendron cv. from original watercolour by Louisa Bailey an original watercolour by Julie Spyropoulos 28 29 Image 13 camellia, the Franklin tree is also in the tea plant family. As you can see on this image the striking burgundy leaves add to the autumn colour in the Pinetum and The Franklin tree the striated bark adds winter interest. Its beauty has saved the Franklin tree and the Florilegium Here Jackie Copeman has captured Franklinia alatamaha, the Franklin tree. This tree have captured that beauty before it’s too late, is classed as ‘extinct in the wild’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature recording it for posterity. (IUCN). They produce a ‘Red List’ which shows the global conservation status of all plants and animals. The conservation work in the Pinetum is extremely important as Here are Jackie’s thoughts on painting 34% of conifers are currently threatened with extinction on the IUCN Red List - that’s an the Franklin tree: “The tree was striking even higher percentage than for mammals. Dan Luscombe, Bedgebury’s Collections in the late summer, its leaves red in the Manager, advises the IUCN committee on the conservation status of conifer species. This sun and the white flowers standing is just one way in which Bedgebury is helping to conserve trees around the world. By out against the blue sky; so unusual to coming to Bedgebury you are helping to support that work. see a tree in full flower alongside its autumn leaf colour. I knew I’d like to paint it and was even more decided when I understood that this was a tree which is no longer found in the wild.”

If you have enjoyed the Art of Trees exhibition, pop into the Friends’ shop in the Information Office to view a range of cards produced by the talented artists of our Florilegium.

Right: The Franklin tree Franklinia alatamaha from an original watercolour by Jackie Copeman

“It has been fun walking the site to find specimens of the plants we need and learning more about them; but frustrating when specimens cannot be found at the As conserving and preserving trees is what Bedgebury is all about, the Franklin tree right stage for painting or when the is grown here to ensure that it doesn’t move to the next category: ‘extinct’. Although it plant must be painted immediately hasn’t been seen in the wild for over 200 years, it is now grown in botanic gardens and else the precious flower will die.” arboreta and is a popular garden tree. It can be a ‘fussy’ tree, liking particular soils and Jackie Copeman only flowering in the right conditions, but perseverance is worth it! The popularity of the Franklin tree may have something to do with its beauty and year-round interest. The tree has beautiful white flowers, with a yellow centre and a light fragrance like honeysuckle. They are very similar to camellia flowers, and like the 30 31 Then why not enjoy the benefits Enjoyed of Bedgebury membership! Pop into the Information Office to find out more or join online your www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk 01580 879842 visit? lovebedgebury bedgeburyfriends

32 33 Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist

Index of images and species Image 4 – Cones Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist 1 East Himalayan fir Abies spectabilis Pearl Bostock 2 Armand pine Pinus armandii Julia Groves Image 3 – Seeds 3 Spanish fir Abies pinaspo ‘Kelleriis’ Anne Manktelow 1 Horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum Susan Conroy 4 South Esk pine Callitris oblonga Helen Hiorns 2 Northern red oak Quercus rubra Susan Conroy 5 Sugar pine Pinus lambertiana Helen Hiorns 3 Scots pine Pinus sylvestris Margaret Brooker 6 Cypress sp. Susan Conroy 4 Brewer’s spruce Picea breweriana Louisa Bailey 7 Japanese Douglas fir Pseudotsuga japonica Jane Langridge 5 Hornbeam Carpinus betulus Susan Conroy 8 Deodar Cedrus deodara Jane Langridge 6 Coast redwood Sequoia sempervirens Helen Hiorns 9 Gregg’s pine Pinus greggii Pearl Bostock 7 Hawthorn maple Acer crataegifolium Jackie Copeman 10 Wollemi pine Wollemia nobilis Margaret Brooker 8 Cathaya Cathaya argyrophylla Pearl Bostock 11 English yew Taxus baccata Susan Conroy 9 English oak Quercus robur Susan Conroy 12 Japanese umbrella tree Sciadopitys verticillata Pearl Bostock 10 Beech Fagus sylvatica Susan Conroy 11 Delavay’s fir Abies delavayi ssp. fansipanensis Julia Groves 12 Gregg’s pine Pinus greggii Pearl Bostock 2 1 3 5 4 1 2 3 4

6

7 5 7 6 8 8

12 9 9 11 11 10 12 10

34 35 Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist Image 4 – Cones (single) Image 7 – Bark 1 Sugar pine Pinus lambertiana Julia Groves 1 Coast redwood Sequoia sempervirens Anne Manktelow 2 Ghost pine Pinus sabiniana Julia Groves 2 Tasmanian gum Eucalyptus coccifera Helen Hiorns 3 Armand pine Pinus armandii Julia Groves 3 Tibetan cherry Prunus serrula Jackie Copeman 4 Himalayan birch Betula utilis var. jacquemontii ‘Grayswood Ghost’ Julia Groves 5 English oak Quercus robur Susan Conroy 6 Scots pine Pinus sylvestris Margaret Brooker

1 2 3

1 2 3 4 Image 5 – The life cycle of the Mulanje cedar Mulanje cedar Widdringtonia whytei Anne Manktelow

Image 6 – The tree outline Scots pine Pinus sylvestris Pearl Bostock

5 6

36 37 Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist Image 8 – Fruits Image 9 – Needles 1 Chinese crab apple Malus hupehensis Louisa Bailey 1 Maidenhair tree Gingko biloba Louisa Bailey 2 Shagbark hickory Carya ovata Susan Conroy 2 Monkey puzzle tree Araucaria araucana Susan Conroy 3 Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipfera Pearl Bostock 3 Plum yew Cephalotaxus harringtonii Julia Groves 4 Bladdernut Staphylea pinnata Pearl Bostock 4 Golden larch Pseudolarix amabilis Pearl Bostock 5 Hawthorn Crataegus sp. Anne Manktelow 5 Celerytop pine Phyllocladus aspleniifolius Sandra Fernandez 6 Horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum Susan Conroy 6 East Himalayan fir Abies spectabilis Pearl Bostock 7 Silky dogwood Cornus amomum Pearl Bostock 7 Scots pine Pinus sylvestris Margaret Brooker 8 Beech Fagus sylvatica Susan Conroy 8 Wollemi pine Wollemia nobilis Margaret Brooker 9 Japanese dogwood Cornus kousa Helen Hiorns 9 Hiba Thujopsis dolabrata Pearl Bostock 10 Sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Jackie Copeman 10 Nootka cypress Xanthocyparis nootkatensis Margaret Brooker 11 Japanese stewartia Stewartia pseudocamellia Louisa Bailey 11 Noble fir Abies procera Margaret Brooker 12 Beautyberry Callicarpa bodinieri Sandra Fernandez 12 Dawn redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides Julie Spyropoulos

1 3 4 2 2 1 3 4

5 6 5 7 8 8 6 7

9 10 11 10 11 9 12 12

Image 10 – The panda of the plant world Cathaya Cathaya argyrophylla Pearl Bostock

38 39 Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist Ref Common Name Latin Name Artist Image 11 – Broadleaves Image 12 – Flowers 1 Red bud maple Acer trautvetteri Susan Conroy 1 Rhododendron Rhododendron cv. Julie Spyropoulos 2 Japanese maple Acer palmatum ‘Shikage ori nishiki’ Jackie Copeman 2 Maple Acer tegmentosum ‘White Tigress’ Pearl Bostock 3 American sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Jane Langridge 3 Chinese crab apple Malus hupehensis Louisa Bailey 4 Shagbark hickory Carya ovata Susan Conroy 4 Chinese witch hazel Hamamelis mollis Helen Hiorns 5 Northern red oak Quercus rubra Susan Conroy 5 crab apple Malus x purpurea ‘Lemoinei’ Pearl Bostock 6 White ash Fraxinus americana Susan Conroy 6 Nepalese paper plant Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ Sandra Fernandez 7 Henry’s lime Tilia henryana Susan Conroy 7 Judas tree Cercis siliquastrum ‘Avondale’ Susan Conroy 8 Yellow catalpa Catalpa ovata Sandra Fernandez 8 Japanese stewartia Stewartia pseudocamellia Louisa Bailey 9 Tibetan whitebeam Sorbus thibetica Margaret Brooker 9 Star Wars magnolia Magnolia ‘Star Wars’ Susan Conroy 10 Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipfera Susan Conroy 10 Great white cherry Prunus ‘Tai Haku’ Pearl Bostock 11 Chang’s sweetgum Liquidambar acalycina Susan Conroy 11 Cornelian cherry Cornus mas Louisa Bailey 12 Horse chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum Susan Conroy 12 Japanese dogwood Cornus kousa Anne Manktelow 13 English oak Quercus robur Susan Conroy 14 Katsura tree Cercidiphyllum japonicum Helen Hiorns 15 Wild service tree Sorbus torminalis Sandra Fernandez 16 Sumach Rhus trichocarpa Helen Hiorns 3 2

5

1 1 4 3

5 2 4 6 8 6 8 7 7

9 11 10 12 10 9 11 16 12 13 14 15

Image 13 – The Franklin tree Franklin tree Franklinia alatamaha Jackie Copeman

40 41 The Art of Trees is a collaboration between: