Arthur William Parkinson (born 1992) is a gardener, award-winning broadcaster, best-selling author, influencer, artist and florist.
Parkinson was born in 1992. [1] His parents split up when he was 11 and he developed an interest in plants. [2]
Parkinson trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew before working for Sarah Raven at Perch Hill, East Sussex. He was the head gardener at the Emma Bridgewater factory garden. [3] [4]
Parkinson has published articles on gardening, hens and floristry. [1] [5] He is regarded as one of a growing group of young gardening influencers and has received national media coverage. [1] [6] Parkinson has published four books, which have appeared on the Sunday Times Bestseller List. His book The 'Flower Yard: Growing Flamboyant Flowers in Containers' was named as one of The Times top ten best gardening books of 2021. [7]
Parkinson won the Garden Media Guild award for Best Radio Broadcast or Podcast for his "Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange" podcast with Sarah Raven in 2021. [8] He appeared in a 2019 episode of Gardener’s World. [9] [10] His artwork has appeared in a range of products sold by Fortnum and Mason. [11]
He lives in a cottage in the Cotswolds with his partner James Mackie, the interior designer. [12]
As a child, he became a friend of Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, with whom he bonded over a shared interest in hens. [1]