Sad news of the death of Fred Forrest Hunt. April 2020
Fred Hunt from Invergowrie, near Dundee, began his garden career as a grower and exhibitor of chrysanthemums but switched to alpines under the tutelage of his next door neighbours, Henry and Margaret Taylor. His name regularly appeared in the list of prize winners in the early 1980s and it was not long before he was sweeping the boards with his immaculate plants. His trademark was magnificent presentation with not a blemish on a single flower or leaf and attention to detail. In this he was aided both by his use of such attention in his employment as a proof-reader and by his wife Alice. Fred was colour-blind and Alice's trained eagle eye was invaluable in helping Fred choose colour combinations and spot tiny blemishes.
He was one of the first of the modern exhibitors to feed their plants regularly so they appeared in superb condition and larger than ever before. Medals, certificates and trophies abounded as Fred continued his amazing career up to and beyond the end of the 20th century. He was also a Show Judge and a member of the RHS Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee. He was an active member, and sometime Treasurer of the Angus Group and was made and Honorary Vice President of SRGC.
Alf Evans with Alice and Fred Hunt in their Invergowrie house ( note the Lawrence Greenwood paintings on the wall)
He exhibited a remarkably wide range of plants, many obtaining RHS awards, including FCCs for
Calluna vulgaris 'Kinlochruel',
Clematis marmoraria, Edraianthus serpyllifolius 'Major' and
Pleione 'Shantung Ducat'. It is hardly possible to identify which he grew best but he is renowned for his European primulas, cypripediums and an imposing range of fritillaries like conica, crassifolia and tubiformis. Perhaps his trademark plant was the Chilean bulb,
Tecophilaea cycanocrocus shown to perfection, while his six- and three-pan entries were works of art, all produced in his small village garden and alpine house. In the 1990s he travelled widely in China and Tibet in search of primulas and rhododendrons.
Fred with a Forrest Medal plant of Tecophilaea cyanocrocus in 2002
Fred staging plants at Perth - and with at least one trophy to return, it seems! Helpmeet Alice has her back to the camera.
Fred and Alice were also fond of their "getaway" holidays, to all sorts of lovely alpine places in Europe, and even to the likes of Las Vegas - a somewhat unexpected destination for the two of them - but they loved the glitz of the shows there - so very different from the ones we have in the SRGC - but I bet the home baking wasn't as good! Fred and Alice welcomed many Club members to their home where the excellent company was enjoyed with good food and the chance to marvel at the number and quality of plants in the garden, frames and alpine house.
Alice and Fred in Northern Cyprus in 1990
As time went on, the two of them were seen less often at the shows and all the other Club events they had supported so well. A few years ago Alice died and Fred, becoming increasing frail, was admitted to a Care Home. It was there he died peacefully, in his sleep, early this month.
After Alice died Fred and Alice's relatives carried through a wish of the pair to donate their collection of flower paintings - many by the late Lawrence Greenwood - to be auctioned by the SRGC in aid of Club funds. Another way to remind us of the kindness of one of our greatest ever exhibitors. When Sandy Leven wrote about Fred's Forrest Medal winning plant of
Fritillaria liliacea at the Perth Show in 2005 - see next post - Fred was the Club's most successful ever winner of Forrest Medals. His record has since been overtaken by Cyril Lafong, for whom Fred had great affection and admiration, but Fred's record is still magnificent.
Fred was so encouraging to Ian and I when we began showing - Harold Esslement prodded us into it and Fred and Alice gave endless encouragement when we did. He was never aloof or condescending to us as newcomers and this was a real boost to us. I remember too, the feeling of real achievement we felt the first time we managed to beat Fred's entry in a six-pan class - that was real success! He was the first to congratulate us, of course.
Another aspect of Fred's character was that he was always so neatly dressed. Not always most formally, sometimes at shows he wore an open shirt and cashmere sweater, but he always looked immaculate- it was a matter of great amusement to us when we were shown photos of Fred emerging from a soggy tent in the Himalayas, on a trek, looking "band-box smart" ! I regret that I do not have a copy to share with you now. I must make do with a photo shared by Sandy Leven of a young Fred on his motor bike - as neat a biker boy as one has ever seen.
Young Fred on the motor bike
We were unable to attend Alice's funeral and now in these times of covid-19, we are in lockdown, so we cannot attend any service for Fred either, however, the affection and admiration for friends can never be lost, and we mourn the loss of a good and generous friend.
