It is with great sadness that we hear of the death of John Blanchard on 20 September 2022. John was the authority on specie daffodils and although he made no claim for any botanical authority his meticulous records of his travels in Spain and Portugal set the standard for all to follow. He published articles for the RHS Daffodil and Tulip yearbook and served on the RHS Daffodil Committee for many years
His book, published in 1990, Narcissus a guide to Wild Daffodils still remains the go to source of information and has been the inspiration for many worldwide. John frequently said that it needed revision but was far too modest to acknowledge that it remains the seminal work.
There will be a family funeral on 14 October followed by a wake in Shillingstone.
Our sincere condolences to his family.
I had the great pleasure of visiting Spain with John and Brian Duncan. John’s delight in finding daffodils in the wild was a joy to behold. I can see him now enjoying a picnic, reflecting on our finds and munching on a raw red pepper. When I was a novice judge John taught me that in the world of species daffodils, variations are very much the norm.
I don’t think I know of anyone who wore his expertise with such modestly.