Montague Free

Montague Free (1885-1965) was a British-born master gardener, graduate of the Royal Botanic Gardens and author, who later moved to the United States and became horticulturist and director for the world-reknowned Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG), hired by Dr. Gager as Plant Information Specialist in 1920 and later instituting its Cranford Rose Garden in 1928. Took part in a series of exension classes at the tors/Hunt_Wm_Lanier.htm">UNC Herbarium at the request of William Lanier Hunt in the 1930s. Authored many popular mid-century books on gardening. Free later moved to Vermont.

[google]

Books

Links and articles

Advocated washed beach sand for use in potting soil mixture [NYTimes ref]

Brought perennial asters from Britain to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1921 [NY Times article about their 1922 bloom]

Free’s 1951 comments on Maud H. Purdy (1873–1965)

tourism/destinations-attractions/217029-1.html">Article on perennial gardens mentions Free's All About the Perennial Garden.