15/09/2026
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Julian Barnard.
Julian was a hugely important figure in the history of flower essences, and his courage, knowledge and lifelong commitment to keeping Dr Bach’s work freely accessible have left an enduring legacy.
We are grateful for all that he contributed to the flower essence community and to the many people around the world who learned from his work.
Our heartfelt condolences to Julian’s family, friends, colleagues and everyone at Healing Herbs. 🌿
In memory of Julian Barnard
The BFVEA is deeply saddened to hear of the death of our Honorary Member Julian Barnard, on 13th September, 2026.
Julian was one of the defining figures in the modern history of flower and vibrational essences. As a teacher, writer, researcher and founder of Healing Herbs, he devoted much of his life to understanding, preserving and sharing the work of Dr Edward Bach. He wrote extensively, taught internationally and created an extraordinary body of knowledge that has guided and helped generations of practitioners and students around the world.
But Julian's contribution went beyond his knowledge of the remedies themselves. He was prepared to stand up for something he believed mattered: that the legacy of Dr Bach should not become the private property of a commercial organisation. His successful challenge to the exclusive trademarking of Bach's name – ultimately upheld at the highest level of the UK courts – was a landmark moment and its significance extended far beyond the naming of flower remedies.
At its heart was a much bigger question: who owns knowledge? What happens when ideas, traditions and discoveries that were given freely to the world become enclosed, controlled or claimed as private property? What belongs to an individual or organisation, and what belongs to the commons – to be shared, developed and carried forward by a wider community?
Julian's stand on Bach was therefore also a stand for something broader. It touched on ownership, copyright and intellectual property, but equally on the importance of the commons: the principle that some knowledge and cultural resources gain their value precisely because they remain accessible, shareable and available for others to build upon.
For those of us who work with flower and vibrational essences, Julian’s stance mattered enormously and its significance reaches far beyond the essence world. He showed real courage in challenging an established authority when he believed that something of wider value was at stake. And he continued throughout his life to make his own knowledge freely available, teaching, sharing and keeping the work accessible to all. Healing Herbs describes this was his lifelong mission: to give the public free access to the work of Dr Bach.
His book After Bach remains an important record of that period and of the questions it raised. Its value lies, not only in documenting a particular dispute, but inviting us to think about what happens when a living body of knowledge becomes subject to claims of ownership.
Julian was also a man who loved the plants themselves – their nature, their habitats and the subtle relationship between the living plant and the essence. His work helped many people to look at flower essences not simply as a system of remedies, but as a deeper relationship with plants and the natural world. The flower and vibrational essence community is immeasurably richer because Julian Barnard was part of it.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and to all those around the world who learned from him, worked with him and were inspired by his work.
Thank you, Julian, for standing up for what should remain freely available to us all – and for sharing so generously what you discovered along the way.
May his work continue to live through the many people he taught, the books he wrote, the plants he studied, and the essences that continue to be made and used around the world.
