The Professor of Potatoes: Alan Robertson Gemmell’s Horticultural Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
May 10, 1913
On this day, the world welcomed Alan Robertson Gemmell, a man destined to become a horticultural luminary and the voice of reason in many a gardener's wireless set.
Born with a green thumb and a silver tongue, Gemmell would go on to captivate the hearts and minds of plant enthusiasts across the British Isles.
Imagine, if you will, the hallowed halls of Keele University in 1950.
Our dear Professor Gemmell, a respected man of biology, receives an invitation to grace the airwaves of Gardeners' Question Time.
The university, in its infinite wisdom, grants permission with two stipulations: a mention in the credits and that Gemmell's appearances coincide with University hours. One can almost picture the good professor straightening his tie, clearing his throat, and stepping into the world of broadcasting with the same care he might use when transplanting a delicate seedling.
Ah, that calm Scottish brogue! It was said that Gemmell's voice could charm even the most recalcitrant of plants into blooming. His obituary painted a picture of a man so persuasive he could convince the loyal listeners of Gardeners' Question Time to welcome "the most vicious weed" into their carefully tended plots. What a delightful notion!
But make no mistake, dear readers. Our Professor Gemmell was no mere silver-tongued charlatan. As a true academic, he often found himself at odds with the more... shall we say, folksy wisdom of his fellow panelists. While Fred Loads and Bill Sowerbutts might dispense advice as freely as one might scatter seeds to the wind, Gemmell stood firm on the solid ground of scientific fact. For thirty years, he co-hosted the program, a bastion of horticultural knowledge amidst a sea of well-meaning but sometimes misguided garden lore.
And what of Gemmell's own passions? Well, let the man speak for himself:
One of the major loves of my life is the potato. In fact my colleagues on Gardener's Question Time sometimes referred to me as spud Gemmel, since not only do I enjoy devouring that delectable vegetable, I also enjoy devouring anything which has been written about it.
Oh, what a delightful confession!
Can you not picture the good professor, spectacles perched upon his nose, poring over tome after tome dedicated to the humble spud? It brings a warmth to one's heart, does it not?
As we tend to our own gardens, let us remember Alan Robertson Gemmell.
May we approach our horticultural pursuits with his blend of academic rigor and unbridled passion.
And perhaps, the next time we plant a row of potatoes, we might raise our trowels in a silent salute to 'Spud' Gemmell, the man who taught us that even the simplest vegetable can inspire a lifelong love affair.
