Adrian Slack (1933 – 3 June 2018) was a landscape gardener, plantsman, author and authority on carnivorous plants. He won 5 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, and authored two books: Carnivorous Plants (1979, 2005) and Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them (1986, 2006).[1][2]
Both of Adrian Slack's books are considered to have excellent cultivation information and are highly regarded in the carnivorous plant community. After a long time out of print, both of them have recently been reissued. Slack developed hundreds of cultivars and many have been named after him.[3] The sundew species Drosera slackii he cultivated was named in his honour.[4][5]
Slack founded and ran Marston Exotics carnivorous plant nursery in England before suffering a stroke in 1986 that caused his early retirement.[6]
Slack was featured on a 1981 episode of Nature Watch[7] and in an accompanying book published the same year.[8]
- ^ "Funeral Notices".
- ^ D'Amato, P. 1988. "Book review: Insect-Eating Plants and How to Grow Them" (PDF). Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 17(4): 125–126.
- ^ Meyers-Rice, B. & J. Schlauer 2000. Cultivars developed by Adrian Slack. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 29(4): 104–105.
- ^ Cheek, M. 1987. A new species of Drosera from South Africa. Kew Bulletin 42(3): 738.
- ^ Gibson, R. 2000. Drosera slackii – a living jewel from South Africa. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 29(4): 107–109.
- ^ The Savage Garden, Cultivating Carnivorous Plants by Peter D'Amato.
- ^ Nature Watch: Adrian Slack. BFI Film & TV Database.
- ^ Pettifer, J. & R. Brown 1981. Adrian Slack: Playing God with the Plants of Prey. In: Nature Watch. Michael Joseph, London. pp. 59–73. ISBN 0718119940.