The natural world has always inspired art and culture and it’s good to find something new -

or something indoors, if it’s raining! BUWG has compiled this list of activities for the autumn.

Lady’s Slipper and Bees – Pressed Orchids and their collectors

You’ll have to be quick to this but a fascinating display of Bradford District Museums and

Galleries’ rare and extinct orchid specimens is on offer until 27 September.

This exhibition of pressed flowers at Cliffe Castle in Keighley focuses on bee and lady’s

slipper orchids, many of them from the era of the Orchidomania, the Victorian plant-

collecting craze.

Did you know? The museum’s botany collections comprise the nationally and internationally

important collections from Leeds-born botanists F.A. Lees (1847- 1921) and W.A. Sledge

(1904 -1991) of flowering plants and other nationally important lichen and bryophyte

collections totalling approximately 60,000 specimens.

The collection is of national importance on account of its size, the number of voucher

specimens used for published works, and because it contains nationally extinct species.

Find out more about the exhibition here: https://bradfordmuseums.org/event/ladys-slipper-

and-bees-pressed-orchids-and-their-collectors/

Botanically Beautiful: Art and design inspired by nature

This exhibition at Lotherton Hall explores why artists, designers and makers have been

inspired by nature to create a wealth of decoration for our homes and bodies.

It features beautiful and remarkable objects inspired by flowers, fruit, leaves and trees.

There are William Morris wallpapers from the Sanderson Archive alongside glorious

ceramics and silver, intricate Spitalfields silks and innovative furniture by Voysey and Pugin.

It’s on until 18 October.

Find out more about the exhibition at the hall, near Aberford, Leeds, here:

https://itsoninbradford.co.uk/events/apple-day-2026- bowling-community-orchard/

Wild About Lawns Workshop

Do you want your garden to be a haven for wildlife? Have you been trying to rewild your

lawn?

Learn how to transform your lawn into a flowering meadow and about the No Mow calendar.

Learn how to diversify your lawn and please wear sturdy shoes if possible.

Eccleshill Library will be hosting this event in partnership with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust on

26 September from 11am-3pm.

To book a place, email: Sarah.goldsmith@ywt.org.uk

Apple Day

Lots of apple-themed activities are promised at this open day at Bowling Community

Orchard in Bradford.

They include arts and craft for children, seeds for sale, juicing and fruit-related food and

drinks on 11 October, noon until 4pm.

Find out more about the event here: https://itsoninbradford.co.uk/events/apple-day-2026-

bowling-community-orchard/

Flower Carpet

A living artwork made up of an astonishing 300,000 colourful dahlia flowerheads will feature

in Bradford city centre.

The internationally renowned  project has its UK premiere from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27

September in Centenary Square.

Inspired by Bradford’s industrial growth, textile heritage and its people, local artist Shiraaz

Ali has combined archival pattern and symbols to create an intricate and powerful design

spanning 29-metres wide. This living artwork is handmade from over 300,000 colourful

dahlia flowerheads.

The flowers will change responding to the environment across the four days. At the end of

the event, when the dahlias have ceased to bloom, the flowerheads will be composted

locally and naturally decompose, continuing their natural lifecycle.

The world-famous Flower Carpet has been a regular event in Belgium since the 1970s, and

for this UK first, the installation will be created live by a team of 40 people.

Find out more about the event here: https://bradfordculture.co.uk/event/flower-carpet/

Nature Season

A programme of nature-themed cultural events is taking place across West Yorkshire,

including festivals, woodland art trails, performances and events in the heart of cities and

towns.

Find out more about the West Yorkshire Combined Authority programme here:

https://www.explorewestyorkshire.com/

Let us know your thoughts if you attend any of the events listed above!

Jan Taylor