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In the middle of the gardening season, sometimes it's a good idea to sit for a minute in a quiet corner of our gardens and remember some of the great gardeners from our area who literally laid the groundwork for some of the techniques and variety of plants we are now able to grow.

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Every time we see a flower or shrub in bloom, like this purple lilac, we are reminded of the contribution of Albert County’s horticultural son, Roscoe Fillmore.

One such person who comes to mind is a native son of Albert County by the name of Roscoe Fillmore. Said to be the greatest gardener to come out of Atlantic Canada ever, he produced a gardening manual in the 1943 that became a horticultural bible for lovers of the earth all across the nation.

Roscoe was born in 1897 and his text, Green Thumbs, was the first modern gardening book written for Canadians by a Canadian. Interestingly enough, much of it is based on Roscoe's personal gardening and growing experiences conducted within Albert County.

A prolific gardener, he produced many other works in the years that followed, including Roses for Canadian Gardeners, The Perennial Border and Rock Garden and the Encyclopedia of Canadian Gardening.

In these books, he wrote about the work he and his father conducted at the Albert Nursery when he was a young man. In 1913, he married Margaret Munroe and went to Fredericton where he worked on a large farm and managed the Saint John Valley Fruit and Land Company.

As much as Roscoe was a bit of a radical in the gardening world, he was also inclined to carry different political beliefs from many people around him. He joined the Communist Party and in 1923 set out for Russia to help its government develop sound financial practices. He stayed a year and always planned to return, but never did.

Instead, in 1924, he moved to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia and established the Valley Nurseries, specializing in apple trees.

In his horticultural career, he developed no less than 40 hybrids, two of which are still available today (Rmaximum and Rcatawbiense).

Among the gardening legacies Roscoe left in Atlantic Canada are the beautiful gardens at the Grand Pre Memorial Park, a project he completed in 1938 when he served as head gardener there.

He died in 1968, leaving a huge legacy to the gardening world.

The full story of Roscoe's political career is documented in the book Maritime Radical: The Life and Times of Roscoe Fillmore, a book written by his grandson Nicholas Fillmore.

Gardener's Diary

July 4 - Summer garden tour at Corn Hill Nursery from 10 a.m. to noon. A chance to see the great gardens and ask questions. Pre-register by calling 756-3635. This week the peonies, roses, weigella and and iris are all in bloom, so it is a beautiful sight.

July 18 - The annual YWCA garden tour in Moncton from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., fee $12 in advance, $15 the day of the event. Proceeds support the YWCA Women's Resource Centre. Remember that gardens are still being sought for this event. Call 855-4349 to nominate yourself or someone else or e-mail ywcamctn@nbnet.nb.ca. Deadline for gardens to be added to the tour is June 26.

Aug. 10 - A garden tour is being planned by members and guests of the Westmorland Horticultural Society. The event is set for 1 to 5 p.m. with more details to follow.