| Philip Miller was a British author, taxonomist, and horticulturalist. He was the chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden for nearly 50 years and significantly elevated its reputation. He brought in plants from all over the globe, many of them which had not been cultivated in England before. He also developed cultivars that were then exported, such as the first long-strand cotton seeds sent to Georgia in 1733, which was then a newly established colony. As a taxonomist, he was considerably conservative and reluctant to accept the Linnaean system of classification, although his later works reflect a change in acceptance. His published books include The Gardener's and Florists Dictionary or a Complete System of Horticulture (1724) and The Gardener's Dictionary containing the Methods of Cultivating and Improving the Kitchen Fruit and Flower Garden (first published in 1731 but with eight expanded editions later on). Miller was well-connected, and his incredibly broad knowledge of living plants led to him becoming an elected fellow of the Linnaean Society. He trained future Kew head gardener William Aiton and eminent horticulturalist William Forsyth. |
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