Cedric Morris

Morris’ paintings offer vital insight into the planting schemes at Benton End, most of which were never formally recorded. This view of Benton End shows the garden in full bloom, with vibrant irises and Lilium pyrenaicum arranged in a painterly patchwork of colour.

The view is of the rear of Benton End, with a path leading towards a door opening directly onto the garden. In Morris’ later years, this ground-floor room became his bedroom, allowing him easy access to the space he loved most. The vibrant planting includes two striking bearded irises, possibly Morris’ own creations, with brilliant orange standards and maroon falls, though these particular varieties have not survived. Reappearing three times across the scene, the pale yellow Lilium pyrenaicum provides a unifying thread, alongside sculptural silvery leaves of Verbascum bombyciferum, one of Morris’ favourite plants. A wild rose and a Clematis viticella softly frame the top corners of the composition, while a single blue tit perches on an Allium seedhead, busily pecking for seeds or insects. Blue tits still frequent the garden today, nesting in the old brickwork, beams, and trees, such as the ancient Cercis.

Bursting with life, Benton Blue Tit vibrantly demonstrates Morris’ ethos toward planting as a living, layered composition, full of contrast, rhythm, and abundance.

On loan from a private collection.