A Tribute to John Gifford Hillier
1935 – 2025
John Hillier sadly passed away recently and will be known to you all as a towering figure in the Hillier Nurseries dynasty. John, the eldest son of the legendary plantsman Sir Harold Hillier, had a hard act to follow. But this he did with charm, a passion for plants and especially for plants that would perform well in consumer’s gardens.
For many years John could be seen at Chelsea Flower Show overseeing the creation of a record consecutive 74 Gold Medal winning large exhibits which in typical Hillier fashion was full of exciting new and old good garden plants.
I first met John when I joined Hilliers in 1973 to head up their then fledgling container production enterprise. John was at that time largely responsible for the large retail mail order business but also the florist shop where my wife to-be worked! John and Valerie, along with Robert and Jaqueline, even attended our wedding in 1975!
Always a family man, John carried on the tradition that his mother had in showing great interest in staff member’s families. He was affectionately known as ‘JGH’ in the greater Hillier employee family.
Like his father Harold he recognised the potential, and perhaps the potential threat to mail order, that developing garden centres posed. He was soon to assume the overall role of developing several local garden centres for Hillier Nurseries.
John played a key role in the production of many of the Hillier publications and notably the ‘bible’ of the woody plant world the Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs.
John served as HTA President in 1992 - 1993 after sitting on many of its committees. He brought to the role a deep understanding of production and retailing. He passed HTA’s presidency role to John Fraser in 1995, who recalls what a great privilege it was to take over the role from John. With his many interests and participation with other NGOs and associations, John had a broad understanding of the wider industry and went on to became not only a great mentor but also a cherished friend in the years that followed. In Autumn of 1994, John received the HTA’s prestigious Pearson Memorial Medal, awarded to those that have made an outstanding contribution to our industry.
Until recently John also served on many of the RHS committees and plant focus groups. Over time John developed a tremendous knowledge of plants and especially those of the woody kind. He had a particular soft spot and a deep knowledge of Magnolia. He was a recipient of the highest RHS award, the Victoria Medal of Honour which he received in 1996 along with such horticultural notables as Penelope Hobhouse and Charles Notcutt. The RHS rules state that only sixty-three British horticulturalists can hold the VMH at one time. This marks the years of Queen Victoria’s reign.
I’m sure that you will join me in sending our heartfelt condolences to John’s widow Val, their children and the wider Hillier family.
Alan Down
HTA Past President