[3] In 1896, she and Annie Gulvin were the first women hired by Director William Thiselton-Dyer at Kew Gardens[4] as "improvers".

[5] They initially wore the same uniforms as the male garden staff to ensure order and consistency.

[5] Hutchins worked long hours and performed physical tasks in addition to studying chemistry, botany and horticulture in the evenings.

She delivered a lecture on horticulture for women which included information about courses at Swanley and emphasising the importance of scientific knowledge.

[1] In 1902, Hutchins married William Henry Patterson, who she met at Swanley and worked with at Kew.

[8] They remained involved in the Kew Guild even when they lived in Africa, Patterson serving as a Committee member and Hutchins attending yearly dinner events in London when she was nearby.