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Clarence Elliott

Elliott, Clarence, 1881-

British horticulturalist Clarence Elliott made a name for himself as an alpine specialist and a founding member of the Alpine Gardening Society. Elliott traveled the world, growing fruit in South Africa and collecting plants in South America. In addition to bringing home ornamental plants for Kew and Edinburgh botanic gardens, Elliott also collected animals for the London Zoo, ranging from pygmy deer to Galapagos turtles.

When he wasn't traveling the world, Elliott spent much of his time running the Six Hills Nursery he founded outside of Stevenage. At Six Hills Nursery, he grew alpine plants as well as general garden plants that sold well. One perennial, the Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant,' gained immense popularity and became a border planting staple. Elliott experimented with plants, and a primula and a saxifrage were named after him. In the world of publishing, Elliott was known for Rock Garden Plants (1935), Flowers of the Field (revised edition of the 1907 original), and his regular contributions to Illustrated London News from 1951 to 1964.

 

References:

Aubron-Bülles, Marcel. “How to Misappropriate a Gardening Picture. Enter: Clarence Elliott. Exit: J.R.R. Tolkien.” The Tolkienist. February 27, 2013. http://www.thetolkienist.com/2013/02/27/how-to-misappropriate-a-gardening-picture-enter-clarence-elliott-exit-j-r-r-tolkien-tthnsdwohatdw-part-1/

Brittain, Julia. The Plant Lover’s Companion: Plants, People, and Places. Cincinnati, OH: F+ W Publications Inc., 2006.

“Elliott, Clarence (1881-1969).” JSTOR. Last modified April 19, 2013. http://plants.jstor.org/person/bm000116053