On a recent road trip to Florida, my husband and I were able to stop overnight in Charlotte, NC. Since neither of us had ever been there, we decided to see if we could visit an attraction for a short while before continuing our drive. Since we stopped on a Sunday, there weren’t a lot of choices. However, we lucked out and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was open. It was not much out of our way, so we decided to stop and spend some time there. In another stroke of luck, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was hosting a Victorian Botanicals exhibit (Feb 3 to March 19). I was excited to see what was on display.
Although the weather has been unusually warm during parts of this winter, it is still early for most of the flowers to be blooming in the garden. There is a very lovely orchid greenhouse which was part of the Victorian Botanicals display, so we toured the indoor area in the front of the gardens first, then the greenhouse.
The exhibit was based on a few antique publications including The Botanical Register, a horticultural magazine from the first half of the 1800s. Rare, hand-painted engravings from 1835 are on display in the Garden paired with corresponding text. The Handbook of Practical Planting, published in Germany, also from the 1800s, has beautiful lithographs on display as well. You can also find work from English botanical illustrator, Anne Pratt (1806 – 1893) in the Garden.
Here you can see similar botanical lithographs for sale from the same era.
Spurge Olive, Antique Hand Colored Botanical Book Plate
Lupin, Rare Antique Hand Colored Botanical Book PlateRare Antique Print, Peacock Windflower, Broad-leaved Anemone, 1871/1Yellow Sea Flax, Rare Antique Print, Linum Maritimum, 1871/5
Victorian Botanicals Exhibit
These artistic displays are shown with living orchids and vintage furnishings in the Orchid Conservatory which is adjacent to the main building. You can easily walk to it on pathways through the outdoor gardens. While there, I took some pictures and videos which you can see below.
This image shows an intact botanical register although you can see that the binding is loose.
Here is a paired botanical lithograph with text from The Botanical Register (1835).
These videos shown here were taken as we walked through the garden. It was really a lovely experience, highly recommended if you are in the area. It would be ideal for any-sized wedding or special event because they have both indoor and outdoor space for tables and chairs.
Inside the Orchid Conservatory
These videos were taken with my iPhone as we walked through the garden.
A mix of Victorian furniture and accessories with floral elements.
