An orphan, Wilson's earliest years were spent growing up in a San Francisco, California orphanage, an experience he reminisced upon in his book, These Were the Children.
For many years, Wilson had a regular talk show, Dig It with Albert, broadcast on San Francisco's KGO 810 AM.
Wilson was a frequent guest lecturer at local gardening clubs and nurseries throughout the San Francisco Bay area, mentoring and befriending many attendees.
Though at one time he spoke positively upon the seemingly miraculous wonders of pesticides and herbicides, Wilson was an early advocate of wearing protective garments while using the primitive agricultural chemicals of the mid-20th century.
[1] Wilson died at age 93 after apparently falling down a steep ravine bank into San Francisquito Creek, near his Menlo Park home.