David Robinson (horticulturist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David W Robinson
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David Robinson in 2003
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| Born | 2 April 1928 Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
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| Died | 28 March 2004 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | Irish |
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| Known for | Studies in weed control, horticultural knowledge |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Horticultural Scientist |
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David Willis Robinson (born April 2, 1928 – died March 28, 2004) was a scientist from Northern Ireland. He was an expert in horticulture, which is the science and art of growing plants. David Robinson made many important contributions to gardening and farming around the world. He wrote over 120 articles about his research.
After retiring from his research work, he became a journalist and even appeared on TV and radio shows. He also led tours of beautiful gardens. He was well-known for creating and looking after the amazing Earlscliffe Gardens in Howth, County Dublin, Ireland.
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Becoming a Plant Scientist
David Robinson was born in 1928. He once said that he decided he wanted to work with plants when he was only 10 years old! His father worked in construction.
David studied horticulture at Reading University in England. Later, he went to Cornell University in the USA to study pomology, which is the science of growing fruit. He then earned his highest degree, a doctorate, from Queen's University Belfast. His special focus was on how to control weeds. Before his research career, he gained hands-on experience working on fruit and vegetable farms.
David Robinson's Career Journey
From 1950 to 1953, David worked as a plant adviser for the Ministry of Agriculture in County Down. In 1953, he became the deputy director at a new research center in Loughgall, County Armagh. His first big task was to help solve the problem of weeds in fruit farms.
He studied new chemicals that could help control weeds. This research made him an expert in the field. David felt he needed more training in research methods. So, in 1954, he bravely walked into the office of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in London without an appointment! He asked for a grant to study at Cornell University in the USA for a year. Even though his job was very strict, he got the grant and spent 1954-1955 in the United States. He learned a lot about plants and research there. He said it was a very exciting time.
David continued working at the Loughgall center until 1964.
Moving to Ireland
David was often asked to give advice in the Republic of Ireland. For example, he lectured to fruit growers in County Wexford about his weed control research. Because of these visits, he was offered a job in 1963. He became the Director of Horticultural Research at the Kinsealy Research Centre in Kinsealy, near Dublin. He started this new job in May 1964.
David stayed at Kinsealy for almost 25 years, until 1988. He worked on many projects, including how to grow soft fruits like strawberries and raspberries. He also developed a special way of gardening called the "no-hoe" or "no-till" method. This technique helps keep gardens healthy with less work.
David also represented Ireland on the Council of the International Society for Horticultural Science. He was also the President of the Horticultural Education Association of Great Britain and Ireland.
Earlscliffe House and Garden
In 1969, David and his wife, Muriel, bought Earlscliffe House and its gardens in Howth, just outside Dublin. This amazing garden is about 7 acres (28,000 square meters) in size. David managed it with very little outside help.
The Earlscliffe Garden is now one of Ireland's National Plant Heritage Gardens. It even received the highest award (two stars) in the 1999 Good Gardens Guide. The garden is in a special, sheltered spot with a warm microclimate. This means it has its own small, warm weather system. Because of this, plants like bananas, tree ferns, and different types of palms can grow there all year without needing winter protection!
Sometimes, groups could visit the garden for tours. David also used his garden to help with some private research. For example, he sent leaves from New Zealand plants to a scientist in France. This scientist was studying how certain garden pests were attracted to different plants.
Many interesting people lived at or owned Earlscliffe before the Robinsons, including:
- Captain William Bunbury McClintock Bunbury (1864–1878)
- Sir John Pentland Mahaffy (1901–1922)
- Very Rev. CT Ovenden and Dr Ella Webb MBE (1922 -1930)
- Sir John Lumsden (1930 -1945)
- Augusta, Lady Gregory (1949–1950)
- Arthur Stanley-Clarke (1950 -1952)
- Dr Robert Rowan Woods (1952 -1961)
Sharing Gardening Knowledge
David Robinson loved sharing his knowledge. He was a regular guest on the Irish RTÉ Radio One show Ask About Gardening. On the show, he would answer gardening questions from listeners live on air.
For four years, he was also a presenter on the TV show Green Fingers. This show was shown on both BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ. He also wrote articles about gardening for many newspapers and magazines in Ireland and the UK. These included the Farmers Journal and The Irish Garden magazine.
Publications and Editorial Work
David Robinson wrote over 120 scientific articles, mostly about how to control weeds. He also helped edit three books about horticultural science.
He was part of the editorial team for several scientific journals. These included Scientia Horticulturae (from 1970–1989), Crops Research Journal (from 1982–1989), and Chronica Horticulturae (from 1992–1995).
Awards and Recognition
David Robinson received many awards for his important work in horticulture. He was given the Gold Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society. He also became an Honorary Life Member of the Royal Dublin Society and the International Society for Horticultural Science.
The Institute of Horticulture gave him a Fellowship and the Distinguished Horticulturist Award. In 1996, he was added to the institute's Hall of Fame. He was also made a Fellow by the American Society for Horticultural Science, which is their highest award.
His Legacy
David Robinson passed away in March 2004. He was survived by his wife, Muriel, his daughter Karen, and his son Ivan, along with their families.
In 2005, the year after he died, a special lecture for horticulture students in Ireland was renamed in his honor. It is now called the David Robinson Memorial Lecture and is given every year. This shows how much his work and passion for plants are still remembered and celebrated.
See also
- James Bayley Butler – another botanist who lived near Howth
