Queen Alexandra was an accomplished amateur artist as well as a keen patron of the Victorian garden watercolour. She may have been inspired to emulate the style of watercolours in her collection which included works by Beatrice Emma Parsons and Cyril Ward. This watercolour depicts a herbaceous border, probably at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate. The cool, silver tones of the border, punctuated by clumps of tall Michaelmas daisies, suggest that this is a late summer scene.