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Illustrator Lucy Deaner has been picked to create new meadow flower-themed packaging for Scottish beauty company, Seilich.

Lucy Deaner comes from Muckhart near Kinross in Scotland both her mother and grandmother were florists, and she feels that could be where her love of flowers comes from. She now lives and works in Richmond, London.

Although creative as a child, Lucy took an unconventional career route, to become a full-time illustrator. She didn’t go to art college, instead, she studied for a BSc in Fashion Buying at Manchester Metropolitan University. She worked as a fashion buyer before having a successful career in service procurement, working for several companies, including DC Thomson in Dundee and London.

However, she didn’t feel her procurement career was creatively fulfilling. She said: “I thought the time was right to try something different, I’ve always enjoyed art for my enjoyment and during lockdown I began drawing every day, that was the seed of the idea. It just grew from there.”

Only three years ago she handed in her notice to become an artist full-time.

Some of her clients now include; Anthropologie, John Lewis, Lily Gray, Studio 5 – Abu Dhabi and Plaza Del Lago – Chicago.

In February 2024 she was commissioned by Dr Sally Gouldstone, the founder of meadow grown skincare brand Seilich, which is based in Midlothian to create eight illustrations for new packaging for her skincare range.

Sally said:  “The ethos of the company has always been to work in partnership with nature. The environment is a priority in all aspects of business, with profits used to create more wildflower meadows, with an overall positive environmental impact. I want Seilich to lead by example and demonstrate that businesses can be a force for good.”

“One of the key areas we consider is the environment. We are reducing the impact of our packaging, by introducing a refill scheme so that the new packaging, which is already recyclable will have an even lower environmental impact.”

The individual flowers featured in Lucy’s illustrations are bog myrtle, chamomile, peppermint, nettle, meadowsweet, wild carrot, wild rose and yarrow and she also created a flower-filled meadow image.

Every Seilich skincare product contains handpicked botanicals the company takes a conservation led approach, gathering only 10% of each plant species, which leaves behind a flourishing biodiverse meadow.

Sally adds: “By harnessing the power of the meadow and using only natural, organic, and UK-grown Wildlife and Bee Friendly certified ingredients we are using highest-quality ingredients in our beauty products.”

 “Lot of businesses rely on nature in some way, but many have kind of a one-way relationship, taking from nature without giving back so I created a Meadow Rewards Club, a meaningful way to give back to nature.”

Loyalty points are awarded to customers which can be redeemed to unlock a reward discount for the next purchase and increase the size of the meadow. This means that as the business succeeds the meadows keep growing.

Lucy adds, “The commission was a rewarding experience. Sally is a botanist, so she knows the ins and outs of flowers. It was great to learn about the unique characteristics of each plant and bring them to life in ink. I’m proud to see it all come to fruition. I’ve always loved the beauty of floral meadows and think the environmental ethos of Seilich is a lovely thing. I love Sally’s circular model, of putting the money back into growing more meadows.”

Sally said, “I adore Lucy’s illustrations they really capture a sense of the Seilich meadows, and I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship. We wanted the packaging to look as amazing as our wildflower meadow does.”

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Angela Terry, CEO of One Home and leading environmental scientist lists her top five budget and eco-friendly ideas for entertaining kids during the holidays.

(Thursday 27 June, 2024) With the school holidays looming large on the horizon across England and Wales, it’s no surprise that many parents and caregivers will be worrying about the cost of occupying their energetic offspring over the course of six long weeks. 

Data published in 2023* revealed that a fifth of UK parents were concerned about being priced out of entertaining their children during the summer break, spending an average of £635 on additional activities. 

Today, leading environmental scientist Angela Terry, CEO of climate solutions charity, One Home, has revealed her list of top five budget friendly things-to-do that will also encourage young minds to consider how they can live more sustainably, helping to protect the planet around them. 

Recent research shows that children are keen to learn more about climate change and sustainable living. Results from The Big Ask – the biggest ever survey of children which quizzed 550,000 youngsters from around the UK – revealed that almost four in ten (39%) young people aged nine to 17 years old said ‘the environment was one of their main worries for the future’.   

One Home CEO and leading environmental scientist, Angela Terry, said: “Many families may feel pressured into spending money on expensive and consecutive days out over the summer, which can cause additional worry against the backdrop of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“There’s never been a better time to plan some fail-safe and inexpensive activities that also encourage children to care for the natural world. The brilliant thing about nature is that it can be completely free and simple ideas such as cycling, instead of taking the car, are great ways to combine activities for kids with caring for the planet.

“We know that young people are rightly concerned about issues such as plastic pollution and global warming. Learning through play and hands-on experiences is a great way to engage and educate them in positive ways they can help live a more sustainable life.”

One Home’s top five low-cost summer holiday activities for mini eco-warriors:

• Plan a nature scavenger hunt: Scavenger hunts are an exciting way to get children to explore the natural world and can add fun to family walks. Whether you’re at a local park, in a forest or woodland or at the beach, why not task youngsters with finding a number of items including different types of rocks or pebbles, flowers, trees or insects. Summer scavenger hunt templates can be downloaded at Woodland Trust. You could also report your findings to a Citizen Science project, tracking creatures including hedgehogs and snakes. Find out more at the Wildlife Trusts. Cost: £0

• Make a bee hotel: Give solitary bees a home – and flying visitors a spot to rest – with a simple bee hotel. You can make your own by cutting the ends off a plastic water bottle and securely inserting a bunch of bamboo canes or twigs and stems into it. Friends of the Earth have a step-by-step guide to follow. Hang your hotel or nest around head height in a sunny, south-facing spot. Cost: Bamboo canes start at around £5

• Arrange a litter walk or beach clean – A litter pick can be a fun and social outdoor activity which encourages children to consider why littering is bad for the environment. Why not invite your friends to join, split into teams and see who can collect the most litter? There’s a full guide at Keep Britain Tidy. Cost: This compact litter picker made from 100% recycled plastic costs £9.60 and is perfect for little hands. Alternatively, use protective washing up or rubber gloves from home.

• Create your own wiggly worm farm: A worm farm or ‘wormery’ is an ideal way to turn kitchen waste into nutrient rich compost, not to mention a great project to do with youngsters to introduce them to the idea of food waste. Worm farms are easy to make at home – you’ll need two small plastic bins or boxes. Drill several air holes in the bottom and sides of the top bin. Sit them inside each other with a lid on top and rest the whole contraption on some bricks. Then, ask your child to add food scraps, ripped up newspaper and worms to the top bin, and the wrigglers will help themselves to the delicious waste. Beware – you can’t just use any old garden worm – the best composters are red worms because they produce the richest nutrients. They cost about £15 for a bag from online suppliers but if you make them comfortable in their new home they multiply and you won’t need to buy more. In a few days you should see compost collecting in the ‘sump’ – the bottom layer.  Keep your wormery warm in winter and moist in hot summer spells, and there’s a step-by-step video you can follow from the eco charity Keep Scotland Beautiful. Cost: Around £15 for red worms.

• Start a food scrap garden – Active involvement in the growing and harvesting of their food can help kids develop more positive attitudes towards fresh fruits and vegetables. And you don’t even need a garden to start – many veggies grow surprisingly well in pots, making them ideal for window sills. Children will be amazed at how something that is often tossed in the bin can take root:
  • Strawberries – slice a few strawberries in half and leave them on a paper towel to dry. This allows the tiny seeds to become detached from the fruit and easily scraped away from the berry. Once you’ve collected enough seeds put them in the fridge for a few weeks to germinate and then plant in a soil-filled pot. 
  • Lettuce – place the base in a container of shallow water and in direct sunlight. Once it begins to sprout, transfer to soil. 
  • Carrots – place the tops in a shallow container of water and allow roots to form in a sunny spot for about a week. Transfer to soil and watch them flourish! 

For seriously green little fingers, check out The Royal Horticultural Society’s free ’grow your own’ app which breaks down the veg-growing process into simple steps. And if you’re harbouring a future farmer, consider applying for a space on a local allotment – gov.uk’s allotment finder will point you in the right direction. Cost: £0

One Home is a UK charity which aims to help households adapt to a low cost, low carbon lifestyle and provides impartial information and advice on practical solutions that improve people’s lives whilst saving money and reducing carbon emissions. For more information, visit One Home, or download the charity’s energy saving guide.

* Survey carried out by TrustPilot in 2023.

** Research from The Big Ask by the Children’s Commissioner carried out in 2022.