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Helen Hiorns

After studying at the English Gardening School for two years, Helen received a Botanical Art Diploma in 2010. Shortly after, she was invited to join the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium in Kent where she has been a member for many years painting the rare and sometimes endangered trees, flora and fauna. 

She now works out of her studio in Surrey painting and producing an extensive collection of original work in addition to her continued collaboration with botanical organisations. she has been lucky enough to have had paintings at Watts Gallery and Kew Gardens.

Lesley Hazel

I attended my tutor’s very first class of Botanical Illustration in 2017, was hooked and continue to attend his weekly classes. In 2019 I began the sessions for the Kew Certificate which unfortunately had to be “completed” via one-to-one sessions on Zoom; sadly, we were not able to undertake the botany weekend. I enjoy working with graphite, watercolour and pen & ink. I have sold a few pieces and have undertaken commissions. I love this art form and with my tutor I endeavour to challenge myself further, learn from inspirational botanical artists and hopefully inspire others on their botanical illustration  journey.    

Exhibitions and prizes

2025      Selected as one of UK’s contributors for the ABA Worldwide Botanical Art slide show and exhibition in Birmingham.

2025      Selected for exhibition in the SBA’s Plantae exhibition at The Mall Galleries, London.

2026.  Selected for exhibition in the SBA’s Plantae exhibition on line

Fern Harden

Fern grew up in the West Country, where she gained her O and A levels in a number of subjects , including Art A level.She went on to study Home Economics at Plymouth Domestic Science College to become a Home Economist. She worked for Imperial Foods and Kraft Foods creating new products , recipes and the preparation of food for photography.

She took a career break to have her children, then retrained as a Florist, adding Adult teachers certificate to teach at Evening Classes. Her love of the plant world led her to take a Course in Botanical Art at Cheltenham College run by botanist Micheal Hickey and artist Stuart Lafford. She started to specialise in iris , joining the West and Midlands Iris Group and the British Iris Society , where she is Artist in Residence for both groups.Because of her involvement in the Iris world ,she has had an Iris named after her “Fern Harden” a beautiful tall bearded Iris in shades of lavender and pinky peach colours with a very striking orange beard.

Mayumi Hashi

Born in Japan, Mayumi now lives in the UK, where she took a botanical art class at a local adult education centre and developed her interest from there.

Her work is featured in the Prince’s Trust Highgrove Florilegium, Transylvania Florilegium, Sydney Botanic Gardens Florilegium, and the Hunt Institute in Pittsburgh, USA.  She has also contributed to Flora Japonica and The Illustrated College Herbal: Plants from the Pharmacopoea Londinensis of 1618, published by the Royal College of Physicians, where she was an Artist in Residence from 2010 to 2011.  She is a contributor to Curtis’s Botanical Magazine.  

Among many awards, Mayumi has won three RHS gold medals and “Best Botanical Art Exhibit” in 2025.  Her works have recently been included in the Shirley Sherwood Collection. 

Kay Bird

A keen gardener and orchid enthusiast, Kay loved painting and drawing from
an early age. Initially focussing on landscape painting, she later developed a particular interest in plant illustration. After retiring from a successful career as a scientist working in the field of hazardous waste management, carrying out assignments as far afield as Antarctica, for which she was designated Special Envoy of UNESCO, she was able to concentrate on painting. Kay was awarded a Diploma in Botanical Illustration with distinction in 2009 by the EnglishGardeningSchool at the ChelseaPhysicGarden, and became a HCPFS member the same year.
kay.bird@btinternet.com

Mike Kenneally

With a lifelong interest in natural history, nurtured through many years of country walking, the botanical world has always held a special place in my heart. Although I have no formal artistic training, my journey into botanical illustration began at the Teddington Landmark Centre’s botanical art classes.

Retirement provided the opportunity to develop my interest further, leading me to complete the Kew Certificate in Botanical Illustration, followed by the Society of Botanical Artists’ Distance Learning Diploma. I continue to be inspired by the extraordinary diversity of the plant kingdom and by the rewarding process of bringing a botanical subject to life through illustration.

Michael joined the Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society in 2025.

289, Malus domestica 'Devonshire Quarrenden', Annie Berriman, 2023

Annie Berriman

Annie Berriman has always had an interest in art and plants.
She has a BA Hons in Jewellery and Silversmithing from Sir John Cass School of Art. Then graduated from Goldsmiths with a PGCE and spent many years teaching Design Technology and Art.
The continuing love of plants led to a BA Hons in Garden Design from Kingston University and work as a Garden Designer. The love of plants and art came together and she obtained a Diploma in Botanical Painting from the Chelsea School of Botanical Art. She joined the HCPFS in 2022 and has had her first painting accepted for the Hampton Court Palace Archive.

Ailsa Dooley

Ailsa was brought up in the North East of England and studied medicine becoming a GP in Surrey. She has always been interested in art and plants and enrolled in the Kew certificate of botanical illustration, lead by Lucy Smith, mainly to improve her drawing skills. It was during this course she realised she had found her passion in the botanical art world and went on to study the SBA diploma course passing with distinction in 2021 Recent retirement from medicine has given her more time to devote to her painting and she was delighted and honoured to join to the Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society in 2022. She hopes to improve her skills and go on to exhibit.

Stella Crossley

An enthusiasm for gardening and love of natural form lead Stella to botanical art and as soon as she was able
to stop working she pursued opportunities to develop this skill.  Having completed the Chelsea School of
Botanical Art Diploma course with a distinction, she is now a member of the Chelsea Physic Garden and
Hampton Court Florilegium Societies.

298, Magnolia x soulangeana, Rachael Hughes, 2023

Rachael Hughes

My first job was as a physiotherapist, which I gave up to be a full time mum to my four children.
About 10 years ago, my Mum and Grandmother encouraged me to apply for the diploma in Botanical Art run by the So Witt of Botanical Artists, as I have always had a love of botanical art. I completed that after three years and this year I became a fellow member of the society.
A couple of years ago, on a week’s painting holiday in Edinburgh I met a member of the Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society who encouraged me to apply to join. A few months later I was delighted to be accepted and last year submitted my first painting into the archive.