May 2019 - Lizzie Harper

Botanical Illustration: Rosehips

Posted on 31st May 201927th August 2024 in botanical terms

This brief blog is due to my my awe on discovering that Rosehips are not, as I’d always assumed, true fruits. In autumn, roses produce hips. These come in a wide variety of shapes and colours, some showy and some much more discrete. The basic anatomy of all these varied rosehips is the same. […] Read more

comparison of flower and painting of the periwinkle

Step by Step Periwinkle flower botanical illustration

Posted on 17th May 201917th May 2019 in Botanical Illustration step by step

I’ve always loved periwinkle flowers, Vinca major. The blue is such a delicate shade, and I relish the juxtaposition between the dark, glossy leaves and the powdery blue petals. I thought I’d do a quick step by step on how to go about mixing the colours, and illustrating this flower, not least because blue flowers […] Read more

Invasive & Japanese Knotweeds: Telling species apart

Posted on 3rd May 20193rd May 2019 in Botany: Telling species apart

Invasive and Japanese knotweeds are incredibly successful plants. Originally from Japan, China and Taiwan, they escaped from ornamental gardens, and have become established across the UK. They’re especially common in urban and brown-field habitats, and love railway embankments and the damp soils of water ways. One of the most difficult aspects of controlling them is […] Read more