On this day in 1830, Marianne North the botanical illustrator was born in Hastings. Her work was distinctive for the era, in that she travelled to see plants in the wild, and painted them in their native locations. The fashion at the time was for flowers to be painted as isolated specimens on a white canvas. This approach was made more distinctive by her use of a limited oil palette, giving her work vibrant colours.
In 1879 she offered her paintings to the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew, for display. This offer was accepted, possibly assisted by North鈥檚 offer to pay for the building to house the paintings in. This might be seen as a case of money surpassing talent, but that would be wrong. It鈥檚 more that money gave an opportunity to talent. Her paintings remain scientifically valuable and in some cases even led to new species, such as Nepenthes northiana, being identified.
How to Play
Six plants fill each row
each column, each box of six
no bloom may repeat
Tap an empty cell
then choose your plant from below
watch the garden grow
Or pick a plant first
then tap the cells where it goes
faster hands plant more
Red borders will warn
when two alike share a line
rethink and replant
Ticked plants rest complete
all six placed in rightful soil
fewer choices left
The clock starts to run
the moment your first plant falls
how swift is your hand?
Select a plant, then tap cells
Two ways to play: Tap an empty cell then pick a plant, or select a plant below then tap cells to place it.
Cover image: Painting of Nepenthes northiana by Marianne North.
