Lawrence Donegan Hills (2 July 1911 – 20 September 1990)[1] was a British horticulturalist and writer. In 1954, he founded the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA; now Garden Organic) in Bocking, near Braintree, Essex.[2] By the time he retired in 1986, HDRA was the largest body of organic gardeners in the world and had moved to Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry.
He started his long career in practical horticulture when he was sixteen and wrote his first book mainly in RAF hospitals before being invalided out on D-Day. He was one of Britain's best-known writers on organic gardening. Gardening correspondent of the Observer for eight years, then of Punch and The Countryman. He was Associate Editor of the Ecologist and Compost Science (USA). His many publications included Fertility Without Fertilisers, Down to Earth Gardening, and Organic Gardening but he was best known for Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables published by Faber & Faber in 1971. It rapidly became a bible for gardeners, self-sufficiency enthusiasts and commercial organic growers. His autobiography was Fighting Like the Flowers (1989).
Whilst researching a book called Russian Comfrey, Hills discovered that this common plant was introduced in the nineteenth century by Henry Doubleday (1810–1902), a Quaker smallholder who was so intrigued by its possibilities that he devoted the rest of his life to popularising it. Hills took up this crusade, finally naming his fledgling society in Doubleday's memory.
In 1973, his concern about a piece of European Union legislation outlawing historic varieties of vegetables, would lead to massive loss of genetic bio-diversity led to the setting up of HDRA's vegetable seed library. Persistent lobbying of government eventually resulted in the world's first vegetable gene bank where seed was deep frozen and stored forever.
Hills suffered from coeliac disease, which left him in a wheelchair until introduced to a wheat-free diet by Hilda Cherry Hills (d. 1989), a fellow author and noted nutritionist who became his wife. They had no children, but he once said he considered 'the ever-increasing membership of the Henry Doubleday Research Association is family enough for anyone'.
Hills appeared on television, lectured and broadcast on the radio in Great Britain, the US, South Africa, Belgium, France, Australia and New Zealand. HDRA hosted the 1987 television series on organic gardening All Muck and Magic which became so popular that it was one of Channel 4's top five programmes, attracting 3.5 million viewers a week. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Coventry University in 1990.[citation needed]
Booksedit
Miniature alpine gardening (1945) Faber
Rapid tomato ripening for nurseryman and amateur (with Edward H Haywood, 1946) Faber
The propagation of alpines (1950) Faber
Alpines without a garden (1953) Faber
Russian comfrey (1953) Faber
Down to earth fruit and vegetable growing (1962) Faber
Fertility gardening (1981) Cameron & Tayleur in association with David & Charles
Month by month organic gardening (1983) Thorsons
The good fruit guide (1984) Henry Doubleday Research Association
Fighting like the flowers (1989) Green Books
Referencesedit
^Martin, John. "Hills, Lawrence Donegan". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/70385. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^"Our history". Garden Organic. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
January 01, 1970
lawrence, hills, lawrence, donegan, hills, july, 1911, september, 1990, british, horticulturalist, writer, 1954, founded, henry, doubleday, research, association, hdra, garden, organic, bocking, near, braintree, essex, time, retired, 1986, hdra, largest, body,. Lawrence Donegan Hills 2 July 1911 20 September 1990 1 was a British horticulturalist and writer In 1954 he founded the Henry Doubleday Research Association HDRA now Garden Organic in Bocking near Braintree Essex 2 By the time he retired in 1986 HDRA was the largest body of organic gardeners in the world and had moved to Ryton on Dunsmore near Coventry Lawrence D HillsBorn 1911 07 02 2 July 1911DartmouthDied20 September 1990 1990 09 20 aged 79 Ryton on DunsmoreNationalityEnglishCitizenshipUnited KingdomOccupation s Horticulturalist writerOrganizationHenry Doubleday Research AssociationSpouseHilda Cherry Hills 1964 1989 He started his long career in practical horticulture when he was sixteen and wrote his first book mainly in RAF hospitals before being invalided out on D Day He was one of Britain s best known writers on organic gardening Gardening correspondent of the Observer for eight years then of Punch and The Countryman He was Associate Editor of the Ecologist and Compost Science USA His many publications included Fertility Without Fertilisers Down to Earth Gardening and Organic Gardening but he was best known for Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables published by Faber amp Faber in 1971 It rapidly became a bible for gardeners self sufficiency enthusiasts and commercial organic growers His autobiography was Fighting Like the Flowers 1989 Whilst researching a book called Russian Comfrey Hills discovered that this common plant was introduced in the nineteenth century by Henry Doubleday 1810 1902 a Quaker smallholder who was so intrigued by its possibilities that he devoted the rest of his life to popularising it Hills took up this crusade finally naming his fledgling society in Doubleday s memory In 1973 his concern about a piece of European Union legislation outlawing historic varieties of vegetables would lead to massive loss of genetic bio diversity led to the setting up of HDRA s vegetable seed library Persistent lobbying of government eventually resulted in the world s first vegetable gene bank where seed was deep frozen and stored forever Hills suffered from coeliac disease which left him in a wheelchair until introduced to a wheat free diet by Hilda Cherry Hills d 1989 a fellow author and noted nutritionist who became his wife They had no children but he once said he considered the ever increasing membership of the Henry Doubleday Research Association is family enough for anyone Hills appeared on television lectured and broadcast on the radio in Great Britain the US South Africa Belgium France Australia and New Zealand HDRA hosted the 1987 television series on organic gardening All Muck and Magic which became so popular that it was one of Channel 4 s top five programmes attracting 3 5 million viewers a week He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Coventry University in 1990 citation needed Books editMiniature alpine gardening 1945 Faber Rapid tomato ripening for nurseryman and amateur with Edward H Haywood 1946 Faber The propagation of alpines 1950 Faber Alpines without a garden 1953 Faber Russian comfrey 1953 Faber Down to earth fruit and vegetable growing 1962 Faber Lands of the morning 1970 Regency Press Grow your own fruit and vegetables 1971 Faber Down to earth gardening 1975 Faber Comfrey past present and future 1976 Faber Organic Gardening Penguin Handbooks 1977 Penguin Fertility gardening 1981 Cameron amp Tayleur in association with David amp Charles Month by month organic gardening 1983 Thorsons The good fruit guide 1984 Henry Doubleday Research Association Fighting like the flowers 1989 Green BooksReferences edit Martin John Hills Lawrence Donegan Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 70385 Subscription or UK public library membership required Our history Garden Organic Retrieved 13 October 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lawrence D Hills amp oldid 1199257878, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
