The Fox Family

Part of my research for my fabrics has been on the Fox family who were Quakers and not only instrumental in the setting up of the local gardens around which my designs are based but also very influential in the development of the town of Falmouth and were known all over all over England from the 18th century onwards .
My Glendurgan Fox design has as a feature the stone fox seen on the gateposts of the Gardens and the house with plant references to the rhododendron collection ,rhododendrons are one of the main features of Cornish gardens, due to Cornwall's relatively mild climate and early spring and flower from late winter into spring .The gardens at the Tremough Campus also contain one of the first hybrids to be produced and have their own famous collection .
"The cultivation of the choicer types of rhododendrons really dates from Joseph Hooker's travels in Sikkim, when seedlings raised at Kew were sent for trial to some favoured gardens. At Tremough, Richard Gill, the Shilson family's gardener, produced 'Shilsonii' (R. barbatum x R. thomsonii) A.M. 1900, 'Duke of Cornwall' (R. arboreum x R. barbatum) A.M. 1907 and 'Ernest Gill' (R. arboreum x R. fortunei) A.M. 1918. His finest hybrid however has been 'Beauty of Tremough' (R. griffithianum x blood- red R. arboreum) made in 1893, which was awarded an F .C.C. at the Truro Show in 1902."
These flowers have significance for me from my childhood days of playing in the grounds of an old house in BenRhydding in Yorkshire that was full of rhododenron bushes and have proved a fascination ever since for the size of bloom and variety of colour and species .
The winter hellebores included in this design came from a drawing made at the tea rooms at Gweek but are a feature of most winter gardens and remind me of Silverdale where I lived for a few years .
Images shown are of the design in repeat on a white background the same with a turquise background and the lates design in greyscale for a repeatnow printed on hemp and ramie to be used on a cushion on my Ercol stool.