Stacked clay pots, a seed tray of dark soil, a trowel and a linen cloth crowd the worn top of this old potting bench, as if someone has just stepped outside. A coral geranium catches the sun, and a watering can rests on the shelf below. Past the open door, a brick wall with a stone-capped pier encloses beds of pale flowers and clipped hedges.
The homely, lived-in mood suits a dining room near the kitchen, or an office where a gardener plans the season ahead. It belongs to The Conservatory Garden collection, nine paintings of one Victorian glasshouse, its potting room and walled garden, and pairs with Spring Rain on the Glass and The Walled Garden.