GEORGE LOCKIE was one of the great figures in British horticulture since the war. He was born in Derbyshire in 1914, son of a nurseryman and florist. Averse to school, he joined his father’s business at 15. A testimonial states that young Lockie “served in the gardens at Wingfield Park for two years. During that time he gave entire satisfaction. He is a good worker”.
After two years at Woolman Nurseries, Birmingham, he went to the John Innes Institute, Merton, to study fruit breeding before becoming sub-foreman in the fruit department. The institute was at that time formulating the famous John Innes composts, still the commonest alternative to peat-based composts.
In 1945 Lockie moved to the job he would hold for 31 years, as estate manager at ICI’s new technical research headquarters at Fernhurst, West Sussex. He had to develop a research and demonstration centre of international importance for the growing of orchard fruits, soft fruits and glasshouse fruit and flower crops. He oversaw the introduction of many new techniques including hydroponics and CO2 enrichment for glasshouse crops. His enthusiasm was legendary — he was known for leaping off his bicycle while still in motion to inspect some matter of interest on the estate.
His enduring memorial will be the Institute of Horticulture, which he helped found in 1984 and of which he was the first president. There had been no professional body for horticulture, and the institute was set up to unite all its fields, technical, commercial and ornamental.
Lockie gave his time to many committees and bodies, not least the Royal Horticultural Society. In 1987 he was awarded the RHS’s highest accolade, the Victoria Medal of Honour; that year he was also appointed OBE for services to horticulture.
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Lockie is survived by his son and two daughters.
George Lockie, OBE, horticulturist, was born on March 16, 1914. He died on January 15, 2005, aged 90.