Who was Granny Smith?

Wonder who some of the top gardeners in history were? Charlie Wilkins takes a trip down memory lane to tell us more

Gardeners are the nicest people — honestly! How obliging and generous of spirit they are. They seem to take the view that they work for the common good of their communities, and any benefits that come their way are to be shared unstintingly. But then all gardeners are baton carriers, taking what has been handed them, before passing it on down to the next link in the chain. And not just the plants mind you, but knowledge, advice and encouragement. For a few, their names and reputation live on to be shared and enjoyed by as many as possible. Let me introduce you to some of these;

GRANNY SMITH As mother of nine children, Maria Smith (1799-1870) was pretty much guaranteed to become a grandmother. She and her husband Thomas emigrated to Ryde, New South Wales, from Sussex as part of a government initiative to encourage skilled agricultural workers to that area. The apple that was named after her originated from a seedling of a French crab apple which Maria brought with her on her trip to Australia. At first she used the apples for cooking, but her son encouraged her to grow them for eating, and she soon began to cultivate them in proper orchards. Although popular locally, the apple was not marketed commercially until after her death and it was first imported into Britain in the 1930s. The New South Wales town of Ryde commemorates Granny Smith with a memorial park which is on the southern boundary of the former family farm.