In Conversation With: Rachel de Thame & Lauren Lusk

Rachel and Lauren captured in the gardens at Thyme.

We are delighted to welcome back Rachel de Thame and Lauren Lusk, a mother-daughter duo who have recently launched a new collaborative book titled ‘A Flower Garden for Pollinators’. This beautiful and insightful guide to gardening - with pollinators in mind - is paired with botanical illustrations; a must-read for all outdoor enthusiasts.

Rachel de Thame is a horticulturalist, designer, broadcaster and writer. Her passion for plants and gardening began in childhood and she prioritises the needs of wildlife.  Rachel has been a regular presenter on BBC2’s flagship series Gardeners’ World since 1999, and is a long-term member of the BBC team covering the Chelsea Flower Show and all the major RHS Flower Shows.  Rachel is the author of a number of books, including Top 100 Star Plants and Small Town Gardens, and is a regular columnist for the Sunday Times and The Garden magazine.

Lauren Lusk is a Botanical Artist and Designer. She trained at Central Saint Martins in Jewellery Design however Lauren felt increasingly drawn to exploring her passion for plants within her work, and botanical and entomological art quickly became the core of Lauren’s career. She works predominantly in watercolours on vellum; an ancient technique, which is painstaking and requires enormous attention to detail, but results in rich jewel-like paintings.  Other works are on paper, sometimes incorporating graphite elements. Lauren lives with her husband and four young sons in a village in rural Kent, where she is endlessly inspired by the flowers and insects in her garden.

You have recently been working closely on a project together, tell us a little bit about your journey here? 

Rachel: Lauren & I have always dreamt of working together on a book and because she is very skilled in drawing and painting insects, as well as flowers, this felt like the perfect opportunity. The book – A Flower Garden for Pollinators – has allowed us both to explore and celebrate a topic close to both our hearts. The process took us a couple of years and it feels very strange to be able to hold the finished book in our hands.

Lauren: I have been lucky enough to be asked to paint the illustrations for mum’s most recent book. It was a really special project as it's a subject we are both passionate about and being able to work as a mother daughter team was wonderful. I hope we get many more opportunities to do the same in the future. 

What do you find most inspiring about each other? 

Rachel: Since she was a child, I’ve been so impressed by Lauren’s work ethic; she is extremely tenacious and manages to balance her work as a botanical artist with bringing up 4 children under 10.

Lauren: What’s most inspiring about my mum is her work ethic. I’m also hugely inspired by her confidence, determination and perseverance amongst many other things. 

What are you most proud of each other for?

Rachel: I’m incredibly proud of Lauren’s talent as an artist, she creates incredibly beautiful botanical paintings on velum and exquisite graphite drawings of insects but above all, I’m proud of the person she is, always patient, always kind but with an underlying strength.

Lauren: I think just everything mum has managed to achieve- Several different careers and a big, beautiful family. We are all incredibly lucky to have her in our lives.

Rachel and Lauren with their collaborative project, ‘A Flower Garden for Pollinators’.

What is your first memory being in the garden together?

Rachel: because I’m always in the garden, I can’t remember a time when Lauren wouldn’t have been with me, whether that was lying on the ground as a rug as a baby, going for walks as a child and picking up conkers or helping me with dead heading as an adult. Our lives are inextricably linked with plants and gardens.

Lauren: It’s very hard to pin point a first memory of being in the garden together, but if I close my eyes and think of mum she is usually smelling a beautiful rose with a handful of leaves and faded blooms from the plants she’s been deadheading.  We spent a lot of time in the garden as I was growing up and this was a very frequent occurrence. 

What is your greatest source of inspiration?

Rachel: I think we are both continually inspired and amazed by the natural world around us. We both spend a lot of time peering at bees and other insects and are very tuned in to the change in seasons and the different plants emerging in our gardens. It is wonderful to share the same interests. 

Lauren: My inspiration mostly comes from nature. I have always loved colour and beautiful forms, and our gardens are full of these things. I have my mother to thank for showing me this beauty as a child, and I doubt I would be doing what I do now if I hadn’t been exposed to the amazing plants and gardens that I was surrounded by while growing up. 

What tips would you pass on to any mothers & daughters embarking a working relationship together?  

Rachel: I would say most definitely do it! There may be weeks or even years of hard work ahead but nothing comes close to the sense of achievement and joy you get from working with someone you love 

Lauren: Honesty is key. I’ve always been so grateful that mum feels like she can speak openly about my work and give me honest feedback when I need it most, rather than telling me what she thinks I’d want to hear.