Horticulture has lost probably its greatest champion in the world of garden journalism and broadcasting, with the sudden death in January of Peter Seabrook at the age of 86.
In a profession that demands empathy with the audience and sound knowledge of the subject matter, he was one of the few equally at home writing for industry professionals as for the amateur gardeners the industry serves – and he was equally respected by both.
His views always came from a deeply-rooted understanding of the horticulture industry and its market. For example, in recent years he argued for an ‘open and honest’ stance in the peat debate and continued to highlight why peat-based media are still important to growers.
During the spring of 2020, with Britain in the grip of the first Covid lockdown, he used his regular column in The Sun newspaper to make the case for reopening garden centres. This time it was a personal plea, too, having recently lost Margaret, his wife of 60 years. “My gardening has provided much-needed solace for me at a dark time,” he wrote. “I know, in these weeks of great sorrow, that I am far from alone. Without question, the mental and physical wellbeing of people kept at home is improved by getting them out into the fresh air tending to their plants.”
He was also well-known for his work encouraging children to garden through various Sun-backed campaigns, and supporting horticulture students through the David Colegrave Foundation, of which he was a founding trustee.
Peter grew up on his grandfather’s farm, where some land was always available to grow plants, and he was already helping out at a local nursery by the age of 10. He studied horticulture at Writtle College, in Essex, where he met his wife.
His first job in the media was broadcasting on the old Home Service, and later on TV with Gardeners’ World.
As well as writing for The Sun since 1977 (where his role included designing Chelsea exhibits for the newspaper) he was a journalist with Amateur Gardening magazine for 35 years. In the trade press he wrote for Nurseryman & Garden Centre from 1964 to 2003, and since then in a regular column for Horticulture Week. He also wrote several gardening books.
He was made an MBE in 2005 and awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour, its highest accolade, in 2003.