Our Story
About us
It all began with an old dress box. Opening it, we discovered a remarkable collection of delicate wildflower watercolours painted by great-great-grandmother Sophia. Having always lived in the countryside and loved Britain’s native flora, we felt instantly connected to her work – and inspired to bring it back into the light.
Those paintings now sit at the heart of our family business, shaping the designs and homeware products we share today. What started at garden and country fairs has grown over the past seven years into a wholesale business, built on heritage, craftsmanship and a love of wildflowers.
Our vision has always been to share Sophia’s delightful wildflower illustrations through practical, beautifully made British products. Our mission is to find and work with dedicated manufacturers who share our vision and values. This means that her art lives on and, at the same time, promotes British business and wildflower appreciation.
Choosing British makers means that we can easily visit them, not just to ensure quality, but also to develop the close working relationships that make any business a pleasure. It is immensely satisfying to have to have achieved Made In Britain accreditation – even our textile labels are woven in Wales!
British manufacturing is expensive compared to the global competition – but we find that keeping it local and being proud of our heritage is a really positive encouragement for all our customers.
Supporting independent business and increasing awareness of our wonderful British wildflowers – we are investing in our heritage.
About the Artist
Sophia was born at Bletchingdon in 1818. She married John Davenport in 1839 and they moved into 62 St Giles, Oxford. They raised seven children and lived there for the rest of their lives.
Her lifelong interest in wildflowers was encouraged by her father Richard Walker, an amateur botanist and Fellow of Magdalen College. He published The Flora of Oxfordshire in 1833 and his work, together with Sophia’s own close observation of the countryside, helped shape the remarkable botanical accuracy of her wildflower watercolours.
Sophia also studied with William Turner RWS and painted scenes of Oxford, its many bridges and the surrounding countryside. She became a founding member of the Oxford Art Society and her work is represented in the Ashmolean Museum’s collection.
The rapid expansion of the railways gave Sophia opportunities to travel widely in Britain and across the Channel to France. Wherever she went, she took her sketchbook and paints, recording the native flora she found alongside scenes of town, countryside and coast.
Sophia continued painting into her nineties, leaving us an annotated portfolio that reflects both her artistic talent and wide knowledge of botany. Her watercolours offer a fascinating record of British wildflowers: down-to-earth, accurate, and full of gentle beauty. They continue to delight all who appreciate the richness of Britain’s flora and the careful observation that inspired her work.