Henry Eckford (17 May 1823 – 5 December 1905) was a Scots horticulturist and reputedly the most famous breeder of sweet peas,[1] transforming the plant from a minor horticultural subject into the queen of annuals.
[citation needed] U.S. horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey called him "the prince of specialists".
It was in Wem that he perfected the breeding of his Grandiflora sweet peas, which in size of bloom and general performance were a great improvement over previous varieties.
From horticultural shows he gained "upwards of 85 gold and silver medals" among his prizes.
[3] In 1907 it was written that because of Eckford's work, sweet peas "are now of such world-wide importance that many hundreds of acres are annually cultivated, and through their general popularity Wem has become famous throughout the world, and is looked upon as the Mecca of sweet peas.