Reginald Farrer

Born in London in 1880, Reginald John Farrer was an English horticulturist, plant collector, traveller, and writer. He is especially remembered for his passion for alpine plants and for helping popularize a more natural, rock-garden style of planting.

Farrer studied at Oxford and went on to write widely about gardening, plants, and his expeditions. He travelled in East Asia in search of unusual species, collecting seeds and plants in difficult mountain landscapes. Alongside his fieldwork, he built a reputation as an engaging prose stylist whose nature writing mixed expertise with wit.

He died in 1920, but his influence on gardeners lasted well beyond his short life. Today he is still valued both for his role in plant hunting and for books that capture the excitement of discovery in the natural world.