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Gardening writer and broadcaster Peter Seabrook, who has died at the age of 86, following a suspected heart attack, was a horticulturalist who presented programmes including Gardeners’ World and wrote a gardening column for The Sun for more than 40 years.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said it would “miss him enormously”.
A spokesperson said: “We are very sad to hear that one of the greatest champions of horticulture, Peter Seabrook, has died.
“Peter had the most incredible career in horticulture and exhibited at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for decades and was regularly at RHS events, gardens and flower shows.
“As well as raising the profile and importance of horticulture, he was passionate about getting young people gardening. We will miss him enormously.”
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Victoria Newton, editor in chief of The Sun, said: “For 45 years, Peter Seabrook MBE was a huge part of the Sun family, helping millions of readers with their gardening queries.
“His projects with schools helped more than three million children discover and share his passion for plants and vegetables.”
She revealed that on the day before his death, Mr Seabrook was helping children at a school in Essex plant acorns to grow oak saplings to plant for the Queen’s Jubilee Canopy.
She continued: “Peter was adored by all, from the royal family and celebrities to ordinary people who wanted his help to grow plants, even if they had the smallest plot or no garden at all. To them, Peter was their gardener.
“He not only wrote more than 2,300 gardening columns for The Sun, never missing a single week, but he also found time to chat to anyone he met who had a question about their own plants.”
Mr Seabrook, from Chelmsford, in Essex, was born in 1935 and studied horticulture at the nearby Writtle University College, graduating in 1956.
While undertaking national service, he trained as a florist before becoming a director of the seed and gardening company Cramphorn.
He went on to work for Bord na Mona, or Irish Peat Board, as a technical representative, before becoming a consultant and director.
He began his career as a broadcaster in 1965 with BBC Home Service, before appearing on In Your Garden and Gardeners’ Question Time.
From 1975, he presented BBC television programmes including Gardeners’ World, Pebble Mill at One and coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show. He was also known in the United States for hosting The Victory Garden on PBS for more than two decades.
He was made an MBE for his services in 2005. He is survived by his two children, Alison and Roger. His wife, Margaret, predeceased him.
Peter Seabrook, gardening broadcaster and columnist, born 2 November 1935, died 14 January 2022
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