Mary Spiller

Mary Rose Spiller (born 13 April 1923) is a horticulturist and teacher who has devoted her life to the dissemination of successful horticulture, particularly by women, in Britain.

Spiller's parents were Reginald Spiller, a crystallographer at Oxford University, and his wife Olive. She was born and grew up in the house in Cowley where she still lives.

In 1942,[1] she began studying at the Waterperry School of Horticulture under Beatrix Havergal.[2] She was employed at Waterperry gardens near Wheatley, Oxfordshire.[1][3][4] as a gardener, planner, manager and teacher from 1963[1] until her retirement in 2013.[5] She was horticultural manager at Waterperry from 1975 until 1990.

In the early 1980s, she was the first woman presenter of Gardeners' World, the BBC TV series about gardening.[6] She took part in episode 6 of the 2014 BBC TV series Glorious Gardens from Above.[7]

When Havergal retired in 1971, Spiller continued the horticultural tradition she had established until her official retirement in 2013. Her influence at Waterperry continues through her ongoing work with the Friends of Waterperry Gardens, and as horticultural consultant to Waterperry gardens.

One of Spiller's horticultural passions is alpines, but she is known as a rounded horticulturist.[8] She was awarded the RHA Associateship of Honour in July 2008 [9][10] [11]

Alongside her work at Waterperry, Spiller gave lectures to the gardening enthusiasts around Oxfordshire since the 1950s, and wrote two gardening books: Growing Fruit (1980),[12] and Weeds, Search and Destroy (1985).[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mary Spiller celebrates 50 years working at Waterperry.". Waterperry Gardens. 11 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Bourne, Val (11 February 2008). "Gardening heritage blooms at Waterperry". Oxford Times.
  3. ↑ du Boulay, Shirley (1985). The Gardeners. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0340381124.
  4. ↑ Lawrence, Linora (24 July 2007). "Miss Havergal's horticultural vision for girls". The Oxford Times.
  5. ↑ "Waterperry Gardens". Gardenvisit.
  6. ↑ Razzaq, Saima. "Gardeners' World blog". BBC.
  7. ↑ BBC One - Glorious Gardens from Above, Oxfordshire; 2014
  8. ↑ "Pamela Schwerdt". Telegraph. 25 September 2009.
  9. ↑ "(title unknown)". The Garden (RHS magazine): 504. August 2008.
  10. ↑ "Tough Survivor.". Oxford Times.
  11. ↑ "Mary Spiller wins prestigious RHS award.". Waterperry Gardens.
  12. ↑ Spiller, Mary (1980). Growing fruit. London: Allen Lane. ISBN 0-713913002.
  13. ↑ Spiller, Mary (1985). Weeds: search and destroy: the easy way to identify, control and eliminate troublesome weeds. London: Macdonald. ISBN 0-356106349.
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