Plantsmen topic for society meeting

The Very Rev. William McMillan from Dunmurry addressed a full house at Hillsborough Horticultural Society’s most recent meeting, on the topic of ‘Plantsmen with local connections’.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Nov 2014, 12:01 BST
At a recent meeting ofHillsborough Horticultural Society are (from left)Sheelagh Benham (Member); Rev William McMillan (Speaker); and Derek Alexander (Chairman).At a recent meeting ofHillsborough Horticultural Society are (from left)Sheelagh Benham (Member); Rev William McMillan (Speaker); and Derek Alexander (Chairman).
At a recent meeting ofHillsborough Horticultural Society are (from left)Sheelagh Benham (Member); Rev William McMillan (Speaker); and Derek Alexander (Chairman).

Members were informed about influential local plantsmen, including Sir Arthur Rawdon, the first person in Europe to have a hothouse, which he used for plants brought home from Jamaica to his demesne at Moira, from whence he exported his plants to Chelsea, Sweden, Leipzig and other places.

Known as the ‘Father of Irish Gardening’ and ‘The Cock of the North’, he imported over 400 species of plants from Jamaica in the late-1600s, when he was at the forefront of horticultural developments.

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Mr McMillan revealed many interesting facts about each of his chosen Irish plantsmen, proving their influence in the early days of botany, horticulture and imported plants. Hillsborough Horticultural Society meets next on 26 November when Teresa Maguire from Greenmount College will speak on ‘The Science behind Smart Gardens’. Everyone welcome at 8pm in the Village Centre.