The wonders of hedgerows and verges
A passions for weeds!
I’ve come to realise there’s a thread running through my life and work that simply isn’t fading: my love of weeds.
It might sound unusual, but I’ve always found the weeds and wildflowers in verges, hedgerows, and patches of grass incredibly beautiful. Over the years, I’ve noticed just how deeply they’ve become part of my creative practice. These plants often find their way into the foreground of my paintings or I may just paint them in a still life, on return from a walk.
There’s something so uplifting about those first flashes of colour in early spring. Dandelions, for example, are often the very first signs that the seasons are shifting — little bursts of joy after winter. And when you stop to really look, the variety is astonishing: cow parsley, hogweed, poppies, buttercups, thistles, red campion… all thriving together in the most unassuming places.
And what I love most is that they’re freely available to all of us — nature’s gift. All we need to do is slow down and notice them.
Where It All Began
I think this fascination started when I was a child, walking my dog along a pathway near my home in Hethersett, a village just outside Norwich in Norfolk. That walk stayed with me — so much so that it became the subject of both my A-level art and my degree show in Printed Textiles at Bretton Hall College.
Even now, more than thirty years after leaving Norfolk, I’m still painting that same walk. Perhaps it represents a simpler time. There was nothing manmade to interrupt it — just nature in its purest form.
Looking back at my early textile designs, I can see I was already exploring weeds back then. In many ways, I feel like I’ve simply picked up where I left off. My hope now is to finally bring a long-held ambition to life: creating a full collection of wallpapers and fabrics inspired by these natural forms. I feel like I’m close — I just need that final push.
Evolving My Practice
Some of my earlier digital botanical collections were inspired by photographs I took on holiday in Cornwall in 2012. Back then, the technology was quite limited, but those designs — featuring hedgerows, poppies, daisies, foxgloves — became and still are a popular portfolio on prints I sell.
Over time, I began developing similar designs from my walks closer to home in Surrey, particularly around Queen Mary’s Woods in Carshalton Beeches.
Eventually, I felt the urge to scale things up — to transform these smaller prints into larger artworks. I started combining photography with paint, experimenting with different techniques to create pieces that could also translate into textiles.
This led to a lovely, unexpected moment: I created cushion designs for my own home and realised how beautifully these artworks worked on fabric. When the printed material came back, I noticed the long strips could also be turned into scarves. I love how creativity works like that — one idea naturally leading to another.
The Creative Challenge
I’ve never had the patience for traditional botanical painting, so I’ve had to find my own way of capturing hedgerows.
My research is taking countless photographs on my walks, and planning holidays especially in May and June when the hedgerows are at their peak. My process is experimental and layered — I may use gelli printing, relief printing, wax crayons, acrylics, oil pastels, and oils. The window is so short — just a month or two — so I have to work quickly.
Sometimes I’ll pick and press plants, or even print directly with them. I usually aim to complete about four paintings a year, though in reality, they often take much longer — sometimes finishing them a year or even two later, when the season comes around again.
New Directions: “Rich Pickings”
More recently, I’ve started a still life collection called Rich Pickings. These works focus on the nature I gather on my daily walks.
My aim is to create one piece for each month of the year. While spring offers the most vibrant colours, I truly believe every season has its own quiet beauty.
These paintings will be exhibited in galleries, with limited edition prints available through my website.
Teaching and Sharing
Alongside my own work, I teach as a community artist, working with over a hundred pupils each week.
It’s incredibly rewarding. Teaching allows me to share what I value most — encouraging people to look closely at nature. When you really observe a weed, draw it, study its structure and colour, you begin to see just how extraordinary it is.
I believe this kind of observation is essential. It nurtures appreciation, curiosity, and respect for the natural world. The children I teach today will become the designers, scientists, and architects of tomorrow — and understanding nature, even something as simple as a weed, could shape how they approach the future.
Looking Ahead
I’d love to collaborate with a British conservation trust to help raise awareness about the importance of hedgerows, verges, and wildflowers and even encouraging little bio diversity patches from discarded wasteland.
They’re not just habitats for wildlife — they’re vital for biodiversity, pollination, and human wellbeing. Access to pathways through nature is something I feel strongly about too. Without that childhood walk, I might never have developed this lifelong passion.
Ultimately, my dream is to create a body of work — like William Morris & Co — that stands the test of time. Something that celebrates nature, honours its beauty, and encourages others to protect it for generations to come. If you would like to help me do this, please get in touch.
