Today I visited Sheffield Botanical Gardens and had a lovely day surrounded by plants - despite the cold weather.
Location: Clarkehouse Rd, Sheffield S10 2LN
Website: http://www.sbg.org.uk/
Florilegium society website: http://www.florilegiumsheffield.org.uk/aims.php
Selection of photos / reference material from the visit:
Purpose of the visit:
Gain primary research, resources and reference material to work from practically
Gain knowledge into the plants exhibited here as well as how a botanical garden "greenhouse" is laid out, etc
Thoughts following visit:
Vast array of plant material to visually respond to / want to educate the audience about through my practical investigation / outcome - however no clear collection of plant species that the gardens specialise in (like the Cycads in the Hortus Botanicus - Amsterdam or Kew Gardens).
The greenhouse was the most rewarding in terms of reference material and variety of plant species for this time of year (Autumn).
Plant species world locations within the greenhouse:
Asia
Himalayas
Japan
South & Central America
Southern Africa
Mediterranean
Australia
New Zealand
If I am to use botanical gardens and their plant species as my primary source of reference material and synergy for my practical response, the seasons are now changing and not many flowering plants are in bloom. Does this make for a less visually pleasing aesthetic for creative outcomes? Will my practical idea of my own illustrated florilegium/herbarium still work?
For a larger body of primary first hand material, it may be worth visiting other botanical gardens such as: Tropical World, Leeds, Cambridge Botanical Gardens and Kew Gardens, London.
What Next?
• Decide on specific set of species from visit to respond visually to
• Research set of species from visit
- Correct scientific latin name
- Interesting information
- Cross section, sex, reproduction, seed, medical use information etc
• Draw and respond visually to resource material and further research about these species from visit
• Create papercut specimens
• Create publication mock-up: fold out papercut greenhouse