George Barron


1914 - 2005

Gardener and broadcaster. Born in New Deer, the son of a grocer, Barron was brought up in Pitmedden and developed a love of gardening while at school. In 1929, he was appointed apprentice gardener to Sir Arthur Grant at Monymusk House. He then moved to the Cruickshank Botanic Garden in Aberdeen, where he remained for five years. Following his marriage in 1937, he was appointed head gardener on the Montblairy Estate in Banffshire. In 1948, Barron took the post of Head Gardener at Pitmedden House, where he was responsible for developing the now-famous gardens owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

Barron was awarded the Scottish Horticultural Medal in 1977 for this work and shortly afterwards first appeared in the ground-breaking BBC Scotland series The Beechgrove Garden, which was to make him a household name. He formed a successful double-act with Jim McColl until he retired in 1984, aged 70.

Barron died in Aberdeen.


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