Fleeting Seasons
The Online Exhibition
View below:
Travel through the seasons with Poppy-Lee Jennings and the botanicals she found throughout the year.
'Summer', ambient soundscape by Please Close Your Eyes, created exclusively for the 'Fleeting Seasons' exhibition
‘Blackberries’, Rubus fruticosus, Watercolour on paper, 23 x 16 cm, 2024, £170 Blackberries are a fruit produced by many species in the genus Rubus. Their taxonomy has historically been confused due to hybridisation so the species are often grouped together. You can find them most commonly in Leeds on bramble bushes lining streets, gardens, nature reserves, and parks.
‘Chinese Lantern’, Abutilon darwinii, Pencil and watercolour on paper, 20 x 16 cm, 2024, £115 This plant, native to south Brazil, is named after Charles Darwin and coupled with the name abutilon which means ‘perseverance’ in Arabic. They are found in the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia, as well as the Greenhouse at Temple Newsam’s Walled Gardens. They share their nickname with alkekengi officinarum, which encloses its berries in the autumn with orange paper-like petals and bears creamy lace-like petals in the summer.
‘Red & White Dahlias’, Dahlia pompon var. red and white, Watercolour on paper, 24 x 30 cm, 2024, £150 These hybrid dahlias are sometimes referred to as ‘York & Lancaster’ dahlias, due to the mixed colours of their petals. There are 49 species of dahlia, with hybrids often grown as garden plants, including these red and white dahlias, found growing outside the café of Golden Acre Park. Dahlias are native to souther North America, only brought to Europe after the Spanish conquest.
‘Tree Bumblebee’, Bombus hypnorum, Watercolour on paper, 11 x 14 cm, 2023, £50 Tree bumblebees are a common species of bumblebee in Europe and parts of Asia. It spread to the UK in the early-twentieth century and their preference for less common habitats mean they pollinate and nest in areas other species of bumblebee do not. They are black with a white tail and orange-ginger thorax.
‘Honeybee’, Apus, Watercolour on paper, 11 x 14 cm, 2023, £50 The western honeybee is the most common honeybee worldwide. Like all honeybee species, the western honeybee creates colonies with a single queen, many non-reproductive female worker bees, and a small amount of male drones. They were one of the first domesticated insects and is the primary species maintained by beekeepers.
‘White Foxgloves’, Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora, Ink on paper, 21 x 26 cm, 2024, £150 White foxgloves bloom from early-summer, their white tubular flowers opening from the base of the stem to the top. They are native to and widespread throughout Europe and has naturalised to other temperate regions around the world.
‘Purple Sensation’, Allium hollandicum, 13 x 13 cm, 2024, £65 This deep-coloured allium strain is believed to be selected and cultivated by J. Bijl in Holland over 50 years ago, inspired by the ornamental plantings at the Imperial Botanical Garden of St Petersburg. These studies capture the allium at its early stages, before it fully blooms into violet domes of star-shaped flowers.
‘White-tailed Bumblebee’, Bombus lucorum, Watercolour on paper, 11 x 14 cm, 2023, £50 This widespread European bee is predominantly black with a yellow collar, yellow band on its middle, and has a white tail. These bumblebees nest underground and can house up to 400 worker bees, and in the UK face south for extra warmth.
‘Oriental Poppy’, Papaver orientale, Watercolour on paper, 18 x 13 cm, 2024, £100 Oriental poppies bloom in mid-summer like most species of the flower and are native to the Caucasus region, Turkey, and northern Iran. Their leaves are large and hairy, and they shed their foliage entirely after flowering. They are widespread and grow wild across the UK since their introduction to the region.
‘Franz Kafka Dahlia’, Dahlia Pompon var. Franz Kafka, Pencil on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £45 The Franz Kafka dahlia is named after the 20th-century author of the same name, known for his works that gained worldwide fame posthumously. It is a pompom dahlia with bright pink flowers that bloom from midsummer to late autumn, the petals made up of layers of inwardly curved petals in a spherical shape.
‘Large-leaved Lupine’, Lupinus polyphyllus, Pencil on paper, 20 x 16 cm, 2024, £115 Lupine is native to western North America but has naturalised across the Northern Hemisphere where the climate is similar. It commonly grows along streams, other moist habitats, is often visited by bumblebees, and is considered an invasive species in some areas.
'Autumn', ambient soundscape by Please Close Your Eyes, created exclusively for the 'Fleeting Seasons' exhibition
‘Shaggy Parasol’, Chlorophyllum rhacodes, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £65 The shaggy parasol is a large Agaric species with thick brown scales on a fleshy white cap. The egg-shaped caps become wider and flatter as they mature. In Scotland, some believe fairies use parasol mushrooms as dinner tables, while in Wales, others believe they use them as umbrellas.
‘Sycamore leaf study’, Acer pseudoplatanus, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 12 cm, 2024, £65 The sycamore tree is native to central, eastern, and sothern Europe, introduced to the UK in the 15th or 16th century and first recorded as wildly grown in 1632. The name ‘pseudoplatanus’ refers to its superficial similarity to the leaves and bark of plane trees, and is often called the Scottish maple.
‘Sycamore leaf study II’, Acer pseudoplatanus, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 12 cm, 2024, £65 The leaves for these studies were some of the first to fall from a sycamore tree in Meanwood late-summer. Their leaves desaturate at different rates, some turning bright red, others yellow, the green disappearing as the tree stops photosynthesising in the colder seasons.
‘Rat’, Rattus norvegicus, Block print on paper, 10 x 15 cm, 2024, £20 – edition of 30 The brown rat originated in Asia before arriving in Europe and North America. The earliest archaeological evidence of the brown rat dates to the early-Neolithic period in central or northern China. Its name comes from the false belief that it originated in Norway and arrived in England on ships in the 18th century.
‘Japanese Anemone’, Anemone hupehensis, Ink on paper, 15 x 11 cm, 2024, £50 Anemone hupehensis originated in China, the Hupeh Province, and after being cultivated for medicinal purposes, became wild in China and Japan before being introduced into Europe in the 19th century. It became known as the Japanese anemone when the plant explorer Robert Fortune found the plant in a Shanghai graveyard and brought it to England. In Japan, it is known as the ‘wind flower’ or ‘thunder flower’ and is considered a good luck symbol and protection from evil spirits.
‘Devil’s Fingers’, Clathrus archeri, Watercolour and pencil on paper, 21 x 15 cm, 2024, £150 Not the most beautiful of fungi, the clathrus archeri, also known as ‘octopus stinkhorn’, erupts from an egg and forms elongated arms. The arms are slender and attached at the top when young and unfold to reveal a pinkish-red interior covered in dark spores that smell like rotting flesh when mature.
‘Blusher’, Amanita rubescens, Watercolour on paper, 26 x 20 cm, 2024, £170 The nickname ‘blusher’ is often applied to a few closely related amanita species, and it is derived from the flesh’s tendency to turn pink or red when bruised or cut. This edible mushroom is found widespread in Europe and Asia and though it can be confused with other amanita species—such as the pantherina or false blusher—it is easily distinguished by its bruising colour.
‘Dotted-stem Bolete’, Boletus scarletina, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 23 cm, 2024, £115 The dotted-stem bolete is found in Northern Europe and North America, commonly known as the scarlet bolete due to the red pores of its stem when mature—its pores are yellow when young. It is only edible when cooked properly and is often confused with the poisonous devil’s bolete (rubroboletus satanas).
'Winter', ambient soundscape by Please Close Your Eyes, created exclusively for the 'Fleeting Seasons' exhibition
‘Penny Bun’, Boletus edulis, Watercolour on paper, 33 x 39 cm, 2024, £170 Penny Bun is a wide-spread fungus found in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America. It grows in deciduous and coniferous forests; they are particularly abundant in Golden Acre Park across the woodland paths in October, lasting through January if the snow is late.
‘Rowan Berries study’, Sorbus vilmorinii, Pencil on paper, 13 x 18 cm, 2024, £45 The rowan tree is a small tree native to northern Europe and southwest Asia, and its berries are a favourite food for birds. It blossoms from May to June in clusters of small yellowish flowers, develops small red pomes that ripen from August to October and last into winter. They can be cooked and made into a very tart jam.
‘Doe’, Odocoileus virginianus, Block print on paper, 9 x 9 cm, 2024, £20 – edition of 30 There are six species of deer living wild in Britain: Scottish red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, sika deer, Reeves’s muntjac, and Chinese water deer. Red deer and fallow deer can be spotted on the grounds around Harewood House. Fallow deer were brought to England by the Romans before being hunted to zero and then reintroduced by the Normans. Now they are managed by conservation groups to protect their population as well as the habitats they inhabit.
‘Robin’, Erithacus rubecula, Block print on paper, 10 x 10 cm, 2024, £20 – edition of 30 The breeding season for robins usually begins in March but can be as early as January if it has been a mild winter. Though they can be seen year-round, they have been a symbol of winter and an icon of Christmas since the Victorian era, and chosen as the unofficial national bird of the UK on many occasions.
‘Candlesnuff’, Xylaria hypoxylon, Pencil and ink on paper, 21 x 15 cm, 2024, £65 Commonly known as candlesnuff fungus, resembling the burnt out wick of a candle, or stag’s horn fungus, for its antler-like shape, xylaria hypoxylon typically grows in clusters on decaying hardwood. Its name comes from the Greek for ‘below’ (hypo) and ‘wood’ (xylon), and they are less than 8 cm in size.
‘Fly Agaric’, Amanita muscaria, Watercolour on paper, 30 x 21 cm, 2024, £220 Amanita muscaria is a white-gilled, white-spotted mushroom, usually red but often orange- or yellow-toned at different growth stages. They are poisonous and native throughout the temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, often found near pine or birch trees, and are one of the most recognisable fungi species in the world, lovingly referred to as ‘toadstools’ in folklore, literature and pop culture.
'Spring', ambient soundscape by Please Close Your Eyes, created exclusively for the 'Fleeting Seasons' exhibition
‘Common Lizard’, Zootoca vivipara, Block print on paper, 9 x 9 cm, 2024, £20 – edition of 30 The common lizard has been recorded in England since the Victorian era. It is the most common reptile in the UK and the only reptile native to Ireland. They can be found in grassland, heathland, on the edges of woodlands, and moorland. They hibernate between October and March, and reemerge in early spring.
‘Purple Circus’, Tulipa ‘Purple Circus’, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £50 The tulipa purple circus starts out white and later blooms purple with fringed petals. All tulips originated in Kazakhstan and were introduced to Holland in the late-sixteenth century. Tulips became so highly sought-after that it brought about the craze ‘Tulipmania’ where the rarest and most beautiful bulbs would sell for the same price as a mansion in Amsterdam.
‘Grand Perfection’, Tulipa ‘Grand Perfection’, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £50 The Grand Perfection tulip is a modern tulip variety created to resemble the famous ‘Broken Tulips’ of the 17th century, named after the Golden Age painter, Rembrandt van Rijn. The original ‘Broken Tulips’ were victim to a virus that weakened the flower and caused the beautiful colour breakages, a virus spread by aphids, almost all of which are now extinct. The red and white colouration of the Grand Perfection is similar to the most famous tulip in history, Semper Augustus.
‘Blue Heaven’, Tulipa ‘Blue Heaven’, Watercolour on paper, 14 x 11 cm, 2024, £65 Though the petals of the Tulipa ‘Blue Heaven’ are only a bluish-pink or lavender-blue colour rather than a vibrant blue, it is named so because it is as close to blue as tulips come. It deepens in colour as it matures, the hue changing from pink tones to lavender tones, that subtle bluish undertone present throughout its bloom.
‘Jan Reus’, Tulipa ‘Jan Reus’, Watercolour on paper, 10 x 8 cm, 2024, £45 The Jan Reus tulip is one of the earliest of the dark-flowered tulips to bloom in the year and belong to the category of tulips called ‘Triumph’, originating from the hybridisation of Single early and Single late cultivars, and they have velvety red-burgundy petals.
‘Inner Wheel’, Tulipa Rembrandt ‘Inner Wheel’, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £65 This tulip is a modern variation of Rembrandt tulips, introduced in 2008. The colour variation is due to being ‘broken’ or ‘rectified’ which allowed it to produce these beautiful striped petals. At the height of Tulipmania, broken tulip species were some of the most sought after and expensive, due to the rare nature of their colour.
‘Jackpot’, Tulipa Triumph ‘Jackpot’, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £65 The tulipa ‘Jackpot’ is a Triumph tulip variety that has deep maroon petals and a distinct white edge. Triumph tulips are a cross between ‘Single Early’ and ‘Darwin’ tulip varieties known for being easy to grow and care for. They flower in early-mid spring with other early tulip varieties.
‘Helmar’, Tulipa Rembrandt Helmar, Watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm, 2024, £50 Helmar tulips are a type of tulip with a genetic flame colour and form on the petals. Popular since the 17th century, tulips are a beloved flower around the world and abundant across the UK. Many cities, including Amsterdam and Istanbul, have tulip festivals, and the Canadian Tulip Festival is a cultural and historical event that originated from a gift of tulips from the Netherlands to Canada after World War II.
‘Variegated-leaf Hardy Kiwi flower study’, Actinidia kolomitka, Pencil on paper, 11 x 14 cm, 2024, £45 This flower study looks at the small white flowers that bloom beneath the leaves of hardy kiwi plant. The flowers are bells, tucked beneath green leaves of a creeping vine, most recognisable by the random variegation in pink and white of some of its leaves. It takes years for it to yield once planted, but it does produce small kiwi-like berries.
‘Alba Bleeding Hearts’, Dicentra Spectabilis ‘Alba’, Watercolour on paper, 19 x 30 cm, 2024, £115 The ‘Alba’ is a white-flowered variation of the bleeding heart plant, first introduced to England in 1810 before being lost and reintroduced in 1846 by Scottish botanist Robert Fortune, who found it growing on the island of Chusan. It is native to eastern Asia and part of the poppy family. Cultivated by Chinese Mandarins in their fairy gardens, it is named for the drooping heart-shaped petals.
‘Porcelainflower’, Hoya carnosa, Ink on paper, 20 x 16 cm, 2024, £115 The porcelainflower (or wax plant) is native to East Asia and a popular houseplant due to its waxy foliage and sweetly-scented flowers. The flowers are typically light pink, star-shaped and grow in clusters. You can find a large plant growing like a woven tower in the greenhouse gardens at Temple Newsam.
‘Rhododendron’, Rhododendron brachycarpum, Watercolour on paper, 22 x 28 cm, 2024, £115 The rhododendron genus has approx. 1,024 species and can be either evergreen or deciduous and most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region. Some species have become invasive in Ireland and the UK, all shrubs having been introduced and spread through the woodland areas, replacing the natural understory of the lands. They are abundant in The Hollies, Meanwood, and at full bloom in late-spring to early-summer.
‘Hedgehog’, Erinaceus europaeus, Block print on paper, 11 x 16 cm, 2024, £20 – edition of 30 Hedgehogs were revered in ancient Egypt as a symbol of protection and fertility, and in the Middle Ages they were considered to have magical powers. Hedgehogs have been a part of culture for centuries, featuring often in classic literature, folklore tales, and modern pop culture. They hibernate from November to April and more likely to be spotted in spring or summer.
‘Hairy-footed Flower Bee’, Anthophora plumipes, Watercolour on paper, 10 x 15 cm, 2023, £50 These bees are widespread in most of Europe and Asia, and they commonly inhabit gardens, woodland, and the coast. The males are most often bright reddish-brown or grey, whereas the females are all black/dark brown and the females have reddish-orange hairs on the hind tibia.
‘Snake’s Head’, Fritillaria meleagris, Watercolour on paper, 28 x 19 cm, 2024, £65 The common names of fritillaria meleagris often refer to the beautiful pattern of its petals or distinct shape; they range from snake’s head to chess flower, frog-cup to chequered lily. They are native to the flood river plains of Europe where it still grows in abundance, but is widespread in England now and flowers from March-May.