Moorcroft Nana Vase

Gardening is a creative form of individual and collective self-expression, rooted in a time and a place. Throughout history it has captured our changing relationship with the world around us and the RHS Lindley Collections are unique in their testament to this: particularly in the art of the craft.

The RHS Lindley Library holds a remarkable collection of drawings and paintings. Amongst its extensive archives a large series of flower portraits by Henry C. Andrews can be discovered. One particular example is Rosa spinosissima ‘Nana’ which Andrews included in his book ‘Roses: or a Monograph of the Genus Rosa’ Volume 2 (London, 1805-1828).

Moorcroft designer Emma Bossons carefully selected a tall, slim and discerning vase for her recreation of Nana. Here white large roses, with soft grey shading, vie for position around the top half of the vase. Below them tightly, unfurled white buds bide their time in opening and becoming the showstopper in the garden. Nana soars skywards on warm chestnut brown stems with an abundance of multi toned green leaves forming a ladder of foliage up the body of the vase. The deep blue at the base fades away to pale cream at the rim, cleverly lifting your eyes up towards Andrews's floral inspiration that still inspires to this very day.