Allen Haskell, Authority On Gardens, 69

[DGH]

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Allen C. Haskell, one of New England's most renowned nurserymen and garden designers, died
in St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, Massachusetts, yesterday (December 7, 2004) after a
brief illness, at the age of 69.

Mr. Haskell started in the flower business in grade school, delivering gladiolas by
bicycle. Beginning in 1954, he ran what was widely considered the premier small nursery in
New England, Allen C. Haskell Horticulturists Inc., on the 10 surviving acres of the
former Hathaway Farm in New Bedford.

The nursery melded with the inspired plantings of Mr. Haskell's personal garden, as he
lived on the grounds in his city's oldest house, built in 1725. Dotted with mossy brick
buildings, old greenhouses, an apple orchard, and rows of towering blue delphiniums and
exotic plants, the nursery has the appearance of an old English country village improbably
moved to a New Bedford residential neighborhood.

In her book, "The Adventurous Gardener: Where to Buy the Best Plants in New England,"
author Ruah Donnelly called Mr. Haskell "the region's reigning plant genius," adding that
"his nursery seems to carry the choicest plants, the 'holy grail' varieties that cannot be
found elsewhere."

A lifelong and devoted New Bedford resident, Mr. Haskell supported many local
institutions, including his alma mater, the Bristol County Agricultural School, and the
Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum.

He was also well-known in society, where he served a far-flung circle of clients. Mr.
Haskell was engaged by Jacqueline Onassis to do the container plantings for her daughter
Caroline Kennedy's wedding in Hyannis Port. He was especially noted for his hosta
collection and meticulously pruned and trained topiary. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
sent her head gardener to the New Bedford nursery to purchase an expensive topiary
collection for her palace, said nursery manager Eugene Bertrand Jr. Mr. Haskell appeared
frequently with his friend Martha Stewart on her television show.

Mr. Haskell also delighted crowds for decades with his spectacular exhibits at the New
England Spring Flower Show, which gives an award annually in his honor, and more recently
the Rhode Island Flower Show. ''Everyone looked forward to his participation, which often
decided if a flower show was a complete success," said John Furlong, director of the
Landscape Institute of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum.

"He was a giant, always brighter and more flamboyant than anybody else," said Roger Swain,
science editor of Horticulture magazine.

Mr. Haskell also had a reputation for being a prima donna. Paul Miskovsky of East
Falmouth, one of several notable landscape designers mentored by Mr. Haskell, said, "You
just needed to understand him. Some people were thrown off by his rough demeanor. The
secret of getting along was you had to give it right back to him. He was brilliant and
complicated."

Mr. Haskell received numerous awards from organizations including the Smithsonian, the
Garden Club of America, and the American Horticultural Society. He donated a collection of
century-old azaleas from Japan to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., where it
is displayed inside the rotunda each Easter.

He also introduced many trends and new plants to horticulture, including the largest hosta
in cultivation, which he named after his son, David Allen Haskell, also a horticulturist.

"He made an enormous contribution to creative and excellent gardening and plantsmanship in
America, and his personality and knowledge will be greatly missed," said Dr. Kim. E.
Tripp, senior vice president for horticulture and living collections at the New York
Botanical Garden.

In addition, Mr. Haskell was an enthusiastic collector of rare birds and animals,
including Highland cattle, camels, and emus, which he kept at a 50-acre farm he owned in
Fairhaven.

Visitors to the New Bedford nursery were often surprised by wandering white peacocks and
rare breeds of chickens.

"He truly loved animals and life and plants," said a friend, Diane Dalton of Chestnut
Hill.

Boston Globe