Period Features

Jekka's Herb Farm

Jekka's Herb Farm was born from a passion. Jekka and Mac McVicar first started planting organic herbs in 1984, on a small patch at their home in Bristol. A passion that outgrew their garden resulted in the move to Alveston in 1987, at which time the Farm was growing 26 varieties of herbs; this has now increased to over 600 varieties, each one expertly handraised and benefiting from years of experience in growing high quality organic herbs. http://www.jekkasherbfarm.com/about.asp

Roman Herb Garden at Gatcombe Court

Jekka will be talking about our native herbs at ancient manor house, Gatcombe Court, in Somerset on 5th June, following her design of their new Roman herb garden. The house is built upon a Roman settlement, and the herb garden is a reconstruction of their influences at Gatcombe. A sumptuous high tea will be served, followed by Jekka's talk. Click here, or email info@gatcombecourt.co.uk for further information.

Leek Embroidery Society

In 1879 The Leek Embroidery Society was established by Elizabeth Wardle in Leek, Staffordshire. Elizabeth and her friends had been working on large, church embroideries for twelve years prior to her establishing the Society, and were well known for the originality and excellence of their work. Some women were employed and paid a salary, whilst others paid for embroidery tuition. Originally the work was undertaken in workers houses but gradually the demand was so great that a property adjacent to Elizabeth’s own house were taken as a schoolroom, workshop and commercial outlet, selling both materials and kits.

Face screen, 1890s.

Elisabeth’s husband, Thomas Wardle was a silk importer, dyer and printer, as well as a friend and collaborator of William Morris. Together they developed a range of natural dyes which could be used on the tussore or tasar silks, both skeins and fabrics, which Wardle imported from India. The natural beige tussore silk ground fabric had been originally imported from India by Thomas' father Joshua . He was unable to discover the secret of dyeing the natural tasar silk. Thomas continued his father's dyeing experiments using vegetable and mineral dyes, and in 1877 made a breakthrough by dyeing the silk to any shade required. The slubs or imperfections produced in the weaving process, due to poor reeling by the villagers in India, were also eliminated with modern reeling techniques. It was Thomas who gave Elizabeth some strands of tussore silk and asked her to devise a new form of embroidery, hoping to encourage needlewomen to use his silks. The dyes produced near colour-fast, clear soft and bright tones, Art Colours’ which were a great contrast to the harsh shades of aniline or chemically dyed wools used in Berlin woolwork. It was Elizabeth’s skill in blending the colours which was such a feature of Leek Embroidery Society pieces. Elizabeth and her gentlewomen embroidered secular and religious pieces with the Indian tussore floss silk skeins onto a tussore printed silk ground, the pattern acting as a transfer. Thomas had the silk printed in India to his own designs, in turn influenced by Indian designs. Damasks, brocades, silk plush and velvet, all dyed in Wardle’s works, were all used for backgrounds.

visit www.victoriana.com/Embroidery/LeekEmbroiderySociety.htm for more information.

Farrow & Ball At The RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London 20th- 24th May. This year Farrow & Ball will demonstrate how to use their colours and exterior finishes to create stunning colour schemes for both the contemporary townhouse and traditional country cottage. Stand No. EA76.

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Get Creative

Why not use Farrow & Ball Exterior Eggshell to decorate stone or terracotta plant pots or rocks - a great project to do with the children!

Whether painting inside or out, try to avoid painting in extreme temperatures. If it’s too hot, the paint will dry too quickly and you will not achieve a smooth finish. If it’s too cold or damp, the paint will take much longer to dry.

Little Greene and Morris & Co

We are now stocking a range of sample pots from Little Greene and Morris & Co.

Little Greene in association with English Heritage have revived a range of period colours, all of which have been fully authenticated. The colour card provides an easy guide to an era and for every shade a note to its provenance. Available in twelve finishes to order from the store.

The Arts and Crafts palette of Morris & Co was sourced from the comprehensive Morris & Co archive containing the complete spectrum of colours employed by the original block printed wallpapers designed by William Morris and his contemporaries. Designed and produced to exacting standards, these heritage paints are carefully produced in traditional chalky Matt Emulsion and Oil-Based Eggshell for use at home, available to order from store.

We still continue to be proud stockists of the excellent range of paints produced by Farrow & Ball. Based in Dorset, Farrow & Ball use only the finest ingredients and still manufacture paints and wallpapers by traditional methods.