George Fraser (born 25 October 1854 in Lossiemouth,

Moray Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Between 1975 ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, and died in 1944 in Ucluelet,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada) was one of the world's leading hybridizers, especially of rhododendrons.

Early life

Fraser began his gardening career at the age of seventeen at Christies Nursery in Fochabers,

. He was then apprenticed at Gordon Castle, Fochabers. On completion of his apprenticeship, he spent the next four years studying horticulture in Edinburgh funding this by working on a local estate. From there he worked in Mollance in

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...

, Scotland, then at Hartfield House in Renfrewshire. While still in his twenties Fraser took on the post of head gardener at Craigflower,

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

. His last position in Scotland was as head gardener at the large country estate of Auchmore, Killin,

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

Life in Canada

In 1883, Fraser along with his sister emigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and worked for the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

for a time. He started a commercial greenhouse in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

but the cold winters made him move to the more temperate regions further west and settled in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

in 1885 where he established a successful fruit and vegetable garden. Then, in 1889, the city of Victoria commissioned John Blair, a landscape architect, and also a Scot, to design and produce Beacon Hill Park. Blair, knowing Fraser's reputation as a plantsman immediately hired him to be the foreman for the entire project. In 1894, Fraser left Victoria for the remote fishing village of Ucluelet where he had bought for $236 two years before. At that time the village was only accessible by sea. Singlehandedly, he cleared enough of his land to establish his nursery. Hybridizing was his passion and this he did with honeysuckle, gooseberries, cranberries, roses and many more besides. His technique was to use the wild form of the plant and cross it with a domesticated version. His renown among hybridizers, however, was in producing rhododendrons crosses. His work was recognised internationally and recorded in the ''Gardener's Chronicle'' of London. Plant explorers and botanists corresponded with him, as did The Royal Botanic Garden, Kew and the Arnold Arboretum, Boston. In 1919 he sent a specimen to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, England. Kew named the plant Rhododendron fraseri.

Horticultural honours

He became Vice-president of the Pacific Coast Association of Nurserymen in 1928 and in 1936, the first Life Member of the Vancouver Island Horticultural Association. In 1991, the American Rhododendron Society presented him with the posthumous award of "Pioneers Achievement Award", a rarely given honour. Ucluelet produced a marble memorial in his honour and celebrate an annual George Fraser Day in May each year. The City of Victoria also recognised his contribution to the making of the beautiful Beacon Hill Park by installing a commemorative stone in his honour.

References

Notes

Bibliography

*George Fraser: A Biography by Bill Dale *George Fraser - Pioneer by Bill Dale {{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, George 1854 births 1944 deaths Fraser,George Fraser,George Scottish gardeners Hybridisers Scottish horticulturists Canadian horticulturists