This August I had the huge pleasure of living and painting in Nymans garden for two weeks. The National Trust property is very well known for its gothic-style ruins and vast and varied garden and woods, the birthplace of many new plant hybrids “nymansensis”. I spent fourteen days getting to know the garden and how loved it is; both now and in the past.

Nymans house and garden was founded in the 19th century by my great-great-great grandfather, Ludwig Messel, a German-Jewish immigrant. Despite the appearance of the facade, it is only 100 years old, remodelled as a pastiche of a medieval English manor by Ludwig’s son, Leonard, and his wife, Maud. In the winter of 1947, the house suffered a disastrous fire, destroying much of the Messel home. Luckily no one was harmed in the fire, however most of the family’s possessions were destroyed; including a painting by Velasquez and the extraordinary horticultural library which quality was only surpassed by the libraries of The British Museum and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

Nymans is now run by the National Trust and troops of dedicated volunteers who keep it living and breathing. I was astonished by the variety and creativity apparent in the design of the garden, every corner accounted for. Many days I found these unlikely corners the most inspiring to paint. I was lucky to see the Wall Garden in full bloom during my stay, however the dry hot summer this year obviously took its toll on the famed summer border which peaks in June. Flowers, woodlands and grasses around the UK have faced a similar fate as the climate continues to change, threatening the existence of many species of plants and the habitats of wildlife, including bees. In response I am donating ten percent of all profit from the sales of these pictures to Plantlife, a charity dedicated to conserving wild flowers and fungi in the UK.

In the two weeks I was a resident at Nymans, I completed 20 oil paintings of various sizes. I am continuing to expand this collection by enlarging selected works into bigger compositions.

Every picture has been framed by myself and my mother Alexandra Stewart Carter. Every frame is bespoke, the finishes and gilding done by hand.

If you are interested in purchasing a piece from this collection, please refer to my ‘Available Work’ page or get in touch with me by email for more information about specific pieces or purchasing work.