D. G. Hessayon

English author and botanist (1928–2025)

David Gerald Hessayon OBE (13 February 1928 – 16 January 2025) was an English author and botanist who is known for a best-selling series of paperback gardening manuals known as the "Expert Guides" under his title Dr. D. G. Hessayon.²

From Wikipedia’s article on D. G. Hessayon (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Feb 13, 1928, died Jan 16, 2025.¹

About

The series started in 1958 with Be Your Own Gardening Expert and in 2008 it celebrated its 50th anniversary and the 50 millionth copy in print. They have become the best selling gardening books in history.

From Wikipedia’s article on D. G. Hessayon, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.²

Companies

Pan Britannica IndustriesChair 1972 to 1993¹²

Early life and education

1950University of Leeds Bachelor of Science; botany^{3 4}
1954University of Manchester Doctor of Philosophy; soil ecology^{3 4}
Date not recordedSalford Grammar School³

Hessayon was the son of a Cypriot landowner, was born on 13 February 1928, and grew up in Salford, Lancashire, England. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree in botany from Leeds University. In 1950, he travelled to the United States where he worked as the editor of a small-town newspaper. In 1953, he went to the Gold Coast as a Research Fellow at the University College before returning to Manchester to obtain his doctorate in soil ecology. In 1955, he accepted a position as chief scientist with Pan Britannica Industries Ltd (PBI), becoming chairman in 1972. It was whilst working for PBI that Hessayon formulated the idea for his "Expert" guides to gardening.

Hessayon and his wife, novelist Joan Parker Gray Hessayson (d. 2001), had two daughters. He lived in Essex, and died at a nearby hospital on 16 January 2025, at the age of 96.

From Wikipedia’s article on D. G. Hessayon (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: author, horticulturist, botanist.⁷

1972 to 1993Chairperson, Pan Britannica Industries⁶
1955 to 1993Worked at Pan Britannica Industries^{4 5}

Personal life

BornFeb 13, 1928, Manchester^{4 8}
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom⁹
SpouseJoan Hessayon 1951 to 2001^{4 10}

Awards

2007Officer of the Order of the British Empire¹¹
1992Veitch Memorial Medal¹¹
1971Fellow of the Institute of Biology¹¹

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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WikidataD. G. Hessayon on Wikidata
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WikipediaD. G. Hessayon on Wikipedia
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: education, on Wikidata
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Wikidataeducation, as reported by Who's Who
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: Worked at Pan Britannica Industries, on Wikidata
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: Chairperson, Pan Britannica Industries, on Wikidata
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: occupation, on Wikidata
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: place of birth, on Wikidata
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: citizenship, on Wikidata
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: spouse, on Wikidata
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WikidataD. G. Hessayon: award, on Wikidata
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WikidataPan Britannica Industries, Chair