THE ORCHID House at an historic walled garden is to provide the backdrop to an art exhibition of paintings inspired by nature.

North Yorkshire artists Connie Fairweather and Margaret Rivers will have an exhibition of their work on display in the restored Victorian glasshouse at Helmsley Walled Garden in Ryedale.

The two artists are both from Ripon. Ms Fairweather trained at York School of Art in the 1960s and works in several different mediums, while Ms Rivers is a self-taught artist who started producing pen and ink drawings of botanical specimens when living in Sierra Leone.

On her return to the UK she took a range of short courses including a course on botanical illustration at the University of Sheffield. Both have exhibited in various locations around the region but this is their first time exhibiting at Helmsley Walled Garden.

The exhibition runs from Saturday, June 24 until Sunday, July 2.

Tricia Harris, marketing manager said: “We are so pleased to be able to exhibit the work of Connie Fairweather and Margaret Rivers in the wonderful setting of the Orchid House, a restored Victorian glasshouse. Their work, exploring themes in nature complements the garden and the beauty to be found inside its walls. We hope visitors will enjoy the exhibition and perhaps take a picture home as a souvenir of their visit.”

Connie Fairweather said: “We’re really looking forward to exhibiting at Helmsley Walled Garden. It’s a beautiful natural space and we feel it’s the perfect setting for our pictures.”