Meet the Team
Ella is a South East Londoner born and bred so you may have spotted her out and about! Previously, she worked in hospitality management before joining Forest as their store manager in 2018. You can find her making bouquets, serving coffee or pricing stock, and she is your go-to for any questions about a placed order.
Ella has just come off maternity leave and is enjoying time with her new tiny human, so currently works part-time, but you can still find her between both shops when she is in.
Alice - Managing Director
Alice started Forest with her mum back in 2013. Her two sisters, Maddie and Thea soon joined and they run the shop together. Her role involves multiple elements mainly encompassing operations, floristry and styling, and events.
She is a member of the RHS Tender Ornamental Plant Committee, which is a group of experts who oversee plant trials and Awards of Garden Merit. They share their horticultural knowledge and promote the latest techniques for growing tender plants to the highest standard.
Alice is a Deptford local - so you might see her dashing about doing a food shop, or sitting out in the market yard enjoying a drink in the sunshine!
Favourite plant or flower? ‘Hmm....that's tough, I don't know how I could possibly answer! Perhaps instead I will tell you the plant I'm most proud of in my home - a giant Alocasia Zebrina which I've had since it was tiny.’
Maddie
Maddie joined Forest when the business started growing rapidly. She soon discovered a love for horticulture, which led her to study her level two with the RHS. On completion of her studies, she started to write about weird and interesting plants that she had fallen in love with, finding herself gravitating towards the darker side of the plant world. Since then she has co-written three books with her sister, Alice.
She loves to share knowledge about plants and you can often find her talking to customers about the beauty of the natural ecosystem ranging from habitats and wild plants, to weeds, and bugs!
Maddie works across both sites as well as the flower farm in Deal, Kent.
Favourite plant or flower? ‘I love the sundews because of their ability to detect nitrogen, and because they secrete antibacterial enzymes to stop organic matter from going off while they eat it. I love all things weird and just a little bit dangerous…'
Lou
Lou has been part of the team since 2017, seeing Forest flourish and a loyal community grow alongside it.
As a trained photographer, Lou ensures that the website remains beautiful and full of warmth by shooting our collection of plants and products, and creating imagery and content for our socials. Beyond that, she visits fairs alongside Alice and Ella to select the unique homeware and lifestyle products you find in the shops.
As a creative, she connects photography with floristry, and often produces flower arrangements for other professional photoshoots. You can see her work here - : www.louiseboase.com
Favourite plant or flower? ‘I’m currently in my weird succulent/cactus era, so next on my wishlist is the Cleistocactus Colademononis aka the Monkey Tail Cactus – which holds that nickname for obvious reasons!’
Natalia
Natalia is a relatively recent addition to the team, having worked at Forest for just under a year.
Floristry is her specialism, and she draws from her background in photography and illustration to create a connection between art and floral design. Intricate details like colour theory and composition are frequent themes in flower arrangement, and she puts this into practice when making bespoke bouquets.
Natalia works full time across Forest and The Fresh Flower Company (our sister company), and you can often find her at both shops.
Favourite plant or flower? ‘The Spider Lily, which is native to Japan and features a striking red appearance. I feel like I’ve taken a trip to a whimsical far-away place whenever I see it.’
Thea
This is Thea, the youngest of the Bailey sisters and keeping the family-run tradition going strong. For your morning coffee fix, head straight to Thea and she’ll pour you the perfect flat white. She’s always up for a chat and meeting the community so come say hello!
In her downtime she likes to crochet animals and tiny plants – which you may well have seen dotted about the shops. Follow her on @theadorablescrochet
Favourite plant or flower? 'The Calathea makoyana. I like it because it is easy to care for compared to other Calatheas, but you still see the intricate patterns and colours that are often characteristic in the ones that are harder to grow.'
Eva
Upon graduating with a Fine Art degree in 2020, Eva has worked part-time at Forest and has made London her home. Throughout this time she has nurtured a real passion for plants, leading to a recent certificate in horticulture from London’s leading environmental college.
Mostly, you’ll find Eva at East Dulwich although her recent foray into floristry sees her located at Deptford too. She loves helping customers find beautiful new house plants and will go the extra mile to help you with plant care.
Favourite plant or flower? ‘The Rhipsalis Paradoxa, a plant I've carefully grown from a cutting. I also find fascination in wild plants, like nettles and cow parsley, which are often seen as a nuisance but they hold remarkable healing properties. Their resilience and hidden benefits never cease to amaze me.’
Hannah
Hannah joined in 2023, and prior to this she quickly discovered her love for horticulture whilst running an online plant shop with her mother in North Carolina.
She now finds herself avidly interested in nature and specialises in houseplants, with a particular fascination for epiphytic plants (orchids, mosses, ferns).
If you’re looking for your next epiphyte then ask for Hannah and she can advise you on the best options for your home. You’ll find her between Dulwich and Deptford sites, and teaching workshops across both Forest sites
Favourite plant or flower? 'The Platycerium, otherwise known as Staghorn Fern. There are so many interesting facts about how it grows in the wild and the crazy things it can do. I'll be teaching staghorn mounting workshops in the near future - feel free to pop in!'
Seb
Seb loves to make customers feel at home when they visit Forest – making them smile is his priority! Aside from bringing joy to plant lovers across London, Seb is also a music producer, sound engineer, and DJ. Naturally, he loves to chat about music and Deptford life so our regulars often come in for a catch up. Guaranteed, if you bump into Seb you will leave the shop laughing!
Seb has worked at Forest for almost three years now, primarily at the Deptford site. He can help you with plant care and answer any general questions. He’s also working on his bouquet game – so watch this space ;)
Born in the Bahamas, and then raised in Leeds and Hong Kong, Seb’s eclectic upbringing is evident in his music. For some fresh Reggaeton flavours – you can check out his music on Soundcloud - DJ YAKUZA and give him a follow on Spotify .
Favourite plant or flower? – ‘The Maranta “lemon and lime” – it’s beautiful, hardy, and not too easy to kill :)'