Lyndall Phelps

Desirable Things That Come of Themselves

A temporary installation at 29 Thurloe Place, South Kensington, London, commissioned by Arts Co., London

The history of plants and garden design is an ongoing interest in my practice, in particular the work of Gertrude Jekyll. For Desirable Things That Come of Themselves I turned to Jekyll’s own garden at Munstead Wood. The installation reflected elements of Jekyll’s planting schemes throughout the year; the spring garden with its tender colouring of pale yellow primroses, golden daffodils and rich coloured tulips; the long flower borders in July with drifts of colour graduating from pastel pinks, blues and purples to stronger yellows, oranges and reds; and the darker, more intense crimsons, purples and blues that enhance the drama within the garden during late summer.

I often work with materials that are cheap and readily accessible, turning them into hand crafted, jewel-like objects. The 890 coloured acrylic circles were laboriously cut by hand from lighting filters, chosen for their transparent, light reflective quality. Suspended by needlework thread, a material commonly associated with intricate women’s work, the circles gently moved, creating an ever changing view. Desirable Things That Come of Themselves was a celebration of colour, light and movement, all elements desired by a gardener.

Desirable Things That Come of Themselves was as part of Brompton Borders, an experimental fringe event to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London.