The Ingenious Mr Fairchild: The Forgotten Father of the Flower Garden

(, New edition)

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Thomas Fairchild, a practical nurseryman in Georgian London, shook the horticultural world by revealing the sexual reproduction of plants. Although alarmed at the prospect of interfering with God's natural design, he could not resist the inevitable consequence of his discovery - the selective breeding of plant varieties. This early form of genetic engineering aroused as much controversy then as genetically modified plants are causing now and scientific debate raged furiously.

Author Bio

Michael Leapman is a journalist who writes regularly on gardening for the Sunday Telegraph, The Economist and the Mail on Sunday. He also contributes to The Times media page. He is a keen gardener with an allotment in Brixton.