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    Trees: Beech

    Posted on in Trees
    Introduction Beech trees are common across Britain, favouring chalky soils.  The oldest Beech trees live up to 400 years.  You’ll find them in open spaces and in woodland and can tell them straight away by their smooth bark.  The trees produce beech mast which is nutritious for animals, and the canopy supports wildlife.  Beech wood […] Read more
    Botanical illustration from the Breckncockshire Flora

    Monocot and Eudicot variety: Illustrations

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Monocots and Eudicots are enormous groups, making up over 80% of plants on earth.  During a recent job, illustrating the Brecknockshire flora, I was commissioned to create two illustrations highlighting the most interesting, beautiful, and most locally important members of these groups. Moncots vs Eudicots There are several main differences between these two enormous groups.  […] Read more
    Botanical illustration from the Brecknockshire Flora

    Trees: Yew

    Posted on in Trees
    Trees: Yew is another blog inspired by my illustrations for The Tree Forager by Adele Nozedar, published by Watkins.  The book has inspired me to think about some of my favourite trees.  The Yew tree Taxus baccata is the seventh in this series, along side the Sycamore, Ash, Hawthorn, Rowan, Elder and the Oak. The Yew […] Read more

    Trees: Elder

    Posted on in Trees
    Trees: Elder is another blog inspired by my illustrations for “The Tree Forager” by Adele Nozedar, published by Watkins.  The book has inspired me to think about some of my favourite trees.  The Elder Sambucus nigra is the sixth in this series, along side the Sycamore, Ash, Hawthorn, Rowan and the Oak. The Elder Sambucus nigra […] Read more

    Cow Parsley: All about an Umbellifer

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart, Current projects and news
    Cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris was on the list of plants I recently illustrated for FOR Sweden.  These plants are invasive in Scandinavia, and particularly troublesome in Iceland. Sketchbook studies All the botanical illustrations I do for FOR are in a sketchbook format.  I love working this way; it gives me the opportunity to include tons […] Read more
    botanical illustration of mountain ash by Lizzie harper

    Trees: Rowan

    Posted on in Trees
    Trees: Rowan is another blog inspired by my illustrations for “The Tree Forager” by Adele Nozedar, published by Watkins.  It’s inspired me to have a look at some of my favourite trees.  The Rowan is another in this series, along side the Sycamore, Ash, Hawthorn, and the Oak. Rowan Sorbus aucuparia is a small tree, […] Read more
    fraximus, ash, compound leaves,

    Trees: Ash

    Posted on in Trees
    Trees: Ash This is the third in my series on common trees, and this time it’s the Ash tree under the spotlight. The Ash Fraxinus excelsior is one of our commonest trees, and is steeped in folklore.  It’s easy to identify, and the timber is extraordinarily strong and versatile Identification: Tree shape Ash trees have […] Read more
    Sycamore leaf

    Trees: Sycamore

    Posted on in Trees
    Trees: Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus is a maple, and is Europe’s largest maple species.  It’s easy to recognise, is common, and has some interesting folklore. Identification: Tree shape The tree grows to 35m and has a domed outline, with dense foliage.  Trees often have heavy lower branches.  It’s a deciduous species, and grows fast in a […] Read more

    Trees: English Oak

    Posted on in Trees
    I’ve been working on illustrations for “The Tree Forager” by Adele Nozedar, due to be published in August 2021.  It’s inspired me to have a look at a few of my favourite trees.  The English oak is the first in the series. The English oak Quercus robur truly is an iconic tree.  English Oak is […] Read more

    Comparing Goldenrod Species

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Comparing Goldenrod species was one of my tasks in a recent commission  for a Horticultural company in Sweden.  All the illustrations were sketchbook studies.  Every plant was an invasive. Overview of Canadian Goldenrod Solidago canadensis and Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea The focus of the illustration is the Canadian goldenrod. Most Goldenrods are native to the […] Read more
    Lupin

    Garden Lupin Sketchbook study

    Posted on in Botanical Illustration step by step, Botany: Telling species apart, Current projects and news, Illustration techniques
    The Garden Lupin, Lupinus polyphyllus, is one of the invasive plants I was recently asked to illustrate for FOR Sweden.  This blog talks you through the steps involved in creating a finished botanical illustration of this flower.  There seems to be an enormous amount of confusion over the English name of this plant: Blue bonnet […] Read more

    Sketchbook illustrations of Invasive Plants

    Posted on in Current projects and news
    I’ve recently completed work on a series of sketchbook illustrations of invasive plants.  The client is FOR Sweden, and the botanical illustrations will be used on a big poster at a horticulture conference. Project overview There are eleven plants in total, and each species needed certain aspects illustrating.  In all cases I need to supply […] Read more

    Invasive & Japanese Knotweeds: Telling species apart

    Posted on 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
    flower shapes

    Flower Shapes: Terminology

    Posted on in botanical terms
    There are a whole load of different botanical terms used to describe flower shapes.  In this blog, I’ll go through a few, explaining what the term means.  Ill try to find one of my botanical illustrations to demonstrate each shape.  Could be a challenge! This chart of flowers of walks and the wayside shows a […] Read more
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    Lizzie Harper