Alfred Parsons

Born in Somerset in 1847, Alfred William Parsons built a varied career as an artist, illustrator, and garden designer. He studied art after an early period working in the Post Office, and went on to exhibit widely, eventually becoming a Royal Academician.

Parsons was especially admired for his landscape painting and botanical illustration. His close interest in plants and gardens shaped much of his work, and he became associated with influential garden writing as well as the design of notable gardens in Britain and abroad.

For readers, his appeal lies in the way he joined careful observation with warmth and charm. Whether working with pen, brush, or prose, he had a talent for making nature feel vivid, inviting, and full of quiet character.