Good morning, hello, let me introduce myself. To my new subscribers - thank you. I'm Ling (it's a flower name). I've given myself the title Paper Botanist - it feels like the best expression of who and what I am and do.

I have a deep, feeling relationship with plants and trees, particularly native residents of woodland and hedgerow, wayside and thorny scrub. I'm talking hawthorn, cow parsley, Yorkshire fog, bracken, willow, foxglove, forget-me-not, honeysuckle, dog rose. Oh, and dandelion, campion, stitchwort, goose grass, garlic mustard, beech....a long and never ending list of dear old friends I greet as we meet in the mornings, walking familiar paths. Did I mention nettle and bramble?

When I'm not out visiting with my green friends, I'm at my workbench, studying, drawing, putting together paper macquettes in my quest to celebrate these amazing wonders of nature with mixed media sculpture. Or I'm sharing the wonder with others, teaching classes combining paper art and botany.

I'm a teacher, a mother, daughter, sister, wife, neighbour. Friend, enemy, fighter. Danish, English. Old and young, curious and scared. Hopeful. A believer. I believe that plants are the most important thing. We get literally everything we need from plants and yet many of us don't even see them. I try to change that. Thanks for being here. How do you get on with plants? Please tell me in the comments 💚🌿