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Rosemary Legrand


A horticulturist and former nursery owner, I come from a horticultural family. My late father, George Hyde, was a hybridist of azaleas and rhododendrons.  He raised many award winning plants which can be seen at the Royal Horticultural Society’s gardens at Wisley, Surrey, the de Rothschild’s rhododendron gardens at Exbury, Hampshire, and the National Trust Gardens at Kingston Lacy in Dorset and Nymans, Sussex.

In 1996, I had the honour at Chelsea Flower Show of presenting H M The Queen with a collection of my late father’s azaleas named after Her Majesty’s former Head Gardener, Fred Nutbeam. In 2011 four of my late father's homebush deciduous azalea hybrids, named after our four grandchildren, were launched on my behalf at Chelsea by David Millais of Millais Nurseries of Churt, and then in  2019 Hyde Rhododendron 'Olivia' was also launched at Chelsea.

My enjoyment of photography together with my knowledge of and enthusiasm for plants is used to great effect in creating the atmosphere of the countries and gardens I discuss in my range of illustrated talks.  The extensive travels I have undertaken to many parts of the world have enabled me to amass a substantial library of pictures.

In addition to lecturing for over 25 years to a wide range of organisations I have presented my talks on cruise lines including Azamara Club, Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and currently for Noble Caledonia cruises and land tours.  I am the Chairman of the New Forest Branch of the Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group.  A RHS Group.

I am on the RHS Speakers Register and a National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) Area Speaker. I also wrote a number of contributions to '1001 GARDENS YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE'  edited by Rae Spencer-Jones and published  by Cassell Illustrated (UK) and Barrons (USA) as well as writing articles for the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Year Book including the group members tour of Canada and the USA and a biography of my late father's hybridising history.