Blenheim Palace and Ilex Studio launch Acorn Vase collaboration offering a chance to grow your own piece of history

Blenheim Palace has partnered with London-based designers Ilex Studio to create a special edition of their celebrated Acorn Vase — a unique piece of growing art that allows people to nurture their own oak sapling from an acorn gathered on the 12,000-acre Estate.

Crafted in glass with a minimalist design, the Acorn Vase functions like a magnifying lens, offering a close-up view of an acorn as it sprouts and develops into a young tree.

Each vase comes with a Blenheim-grown acorn, simple instructions on how to prepare and plant it, and a booklet about the Palace’s ancient oak trees. The Blenheim Acorn Vases will be available in two colours, priced at £35.

James Hunter, Rural Estate Manager at Blenheim Palace, commented: “Having been gifted my own Acorn Vase a couple of years ago and taking a Blenheim acorn last year to grow my own at home, I thought this collaboration would give others a unique chance to grow their own piece of The Blenheim Estate at home as our oaks don’t usually leave the grounds of the estate.

“Each vase contains one of the thousands of acorns which we usually gather, plant and grow on every year in our nursery to become the ancient oaks of the future.

“We love how the vases allow you to watch the growing process in such detail and by the time the acorn is ‘used up’ you have your very own little sapling – they will make for a very special gift or souvenir of a visit to Blenheim Palace.”

Ed Spurr, co-founder at Ilex Studio added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Blenheim Palace. At Ilex Studio, our mission is to share a love of oak trees, and Blenheim’s ancient oaks – some of the oldest in Europe — are an important part of both the Palace’s history and our wider natural heritage.”

For more information on the Acorn Vases, go to www.blenheimpalace.com/estate/acorn-vase/

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Blenheim Palace. For more information please contact Jon Perks at Cab Campaign – [email protected]

About Blenheim Palace

Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped park and gardens, it was designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style and is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill.

With over 300 years of history to share and one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, the magnificent stately home has a rich variety of cultural highlights and an extensive programme of special events and exhibitions.

The total Estate expands into a further 10,000 acres outside of the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and focuses on care for the land through sustainable means, pursuing net zero, the growth of the local economy, the provision of affordable homes, apprenticeship training and supported community groups as part of its ambition to make this part of Oxfordshire a fairer and better place.

About Ilex Studio

Ilex Studio was founded in 2018 with a design focus on creating products that highlight the beauty of nature to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate the value of plants and trees. If every person plants one tree it would have a profound impact on our earth.