Helen's Potting Shed

Helen's Potting Shed Helen Humphreys, Botanical Casting Artist. 🌻🌿 Growing and creating in my South Derbyshire garden!

Did you know that a sunflower isn't actually made up of just one single flower? In fact it's lots of little flowers.🌻Wha...
08/09/2026

Did you know that a sunflower isn't actually made up of just one single flower? In fact it's lots of little flowers.🌻

What we see as the sunflower head is actually called an inflorescence, which is a single flower head made up of hundreds of tiny flowers known as disc florets. The bright yellow petals that we see are ray florets, which are sterile flowers. Their one single function is to attract pollinators in. Once the insects start to explore with their heightened senses, they're rewarded with nectar for pollinating the hundreds (or thousands) of fertile flowers at the centre. 🐝

The squirrel has been incredibly busy over the past few days harvesting the hazelnuts from our Twisted Hazel and burying...
04/09/2026

The squirrel has been incredibly busy over the past few days harvesting the hazelnuts from our Twisted Hazel and burying in them in ours and the neighbours lawns! 🐿🌰

Although I was absolutely loving watching the squirrel busying about the garden, I was slightly worried that i'd be too late for there to be any nuts left for me to cast. Thankfully I managed to scrounge 3, which i've reused as many times as I can to create some casts. Here they are straight out of the moulds!

Seeing in September with an abundance of homegrown produce! 🍑🍎🫑🌶🍅🍆🍓🌿
02/09/2026

Seeing in September with an abundance of homegrown produce! 🍑🍎🫑🌶🍅🍆🍓🌿

First picking of chillies all ready to hang up to dry! 🌶
30/08/2026

First picking of chillies all ready to hang up to dry! 🌶

When your desk starts to get a tiny bit crowded, but looks so florally beautiful! 🌸Enjoying the slightly cooler weather ...
17/08/2026

When your desk starts to get a tiny bit crowded, but looks so florally beautiful! 🌸

Enjoying the slightly cooler weather today, which is allowing me to get a few jobs done.. like emptying the flower press (and refilling) and maybe painting again as it's been way to hot. All the botanical casts have been piling up as i've attempted to cast everything before the flowers go over. The season has been so short for many with the heat.

The rest of the garden might look like summer's well and truly over (somewhat crispy!), but the patio is still going str...
11/08/2026

The rest of the garden might look like summer's well and truly over (somewhat crispy!), but the patio is still going strong!

If you're starting to think about which flowers to sow next year that'll tolerate the heat and give long lasting colour then i'd definitely recommend dahlias, rudbeckias, zinnias, marigolds (and cosmos not pictured but it's coping well too!)

Grow your own dinner! Picking all the veggies that are ready before this heatwave sets in. Really happy with what we've ...
11/08/2026

Grow your own dinner! Picking all the veggies that are ready before this heatwave sets in. Really happy with what we've had so far this summer considering the weather challenges. 🌱🫘🍅🥒🍆🫑

A little update from mini chilli house! They're growing nicely.. now they just need to ripen! 🌶
25/07/2026

A little update from mini chilli house! They're growing nicely.. now they just need to ripen! 🌶

The poppies and cornflowers have brought a riot of colour to the garden so far this summer.From bud to flower, their won...
22/07/2026

The poppies and cornflowers have brought a riot of colour to the garden so far this summer.

From bud to flower, their wonderful forms and textures have been captured in my latest set of botanical castings! Here they are now cleaned up and sanded... all ready for finishing touches!


Don't worry.... be Hap-pea! 🫛A selection of new original bas relief castings of pea pods have been added to my Kitchen G...
20/07/2026

Don't worry.... be Hap-pea! 🫛

A selection of new original bas relief castings of pea pods have been added to my Kitchen Garden collection!

Created in my Derbyshire garden, these original castings were created by imprinting the pea pods and tendrils into natural clay and then cast in plaster of paris. They display the simple beauty of nature and capture a moment-in-time in the summer vegetable garden.

Find these castings and others in my Kitchen Garden collection on my online shop (🔗 Link in comments)

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