Henry Lewis Patmore, Pioneer Nurseryman of the West, was
born in Newport, Essex, England and attended the Newport Grammar School.
He came to Canada and first settled in London, Ontario, where he
worked in a nursery.
From Ontario, Patmore moved west to Brandon and became interested
in establishing a nursery. He saw that the settlers had a great need for
trees. So in 1888, he purchased the nursery that had been established by
a Mr. Brock.
In the thirties, he provided hardy shrubs and trees for shelter belts
and was quick to spot the adaptability of caragana.
He was the first to recognize the value of the Brandon Pyramidal
Cedar. Hundreds of thousands of these trees grace the gardens of thousands
of western Canadian homes.
Patmore was an active member of his community. He served on the exhibition
board and was the chairman of the grounds committee, was a member of the
Brandon City Council for 10 years, served as chairman of the Welfare and
Relief Committee and worked with the Salvation Army. Patmore also worked
with the farmers of the Brandon area in organizing the Wheat Pool and was
the first president of the Brandon Pool.
The name of Henry Lewis Patmore has long been associated with trees
and shrubs that flourish in the gardens of homes and shelter belts on the
farms of the western Prairies. We who drive throughout Western Canada today
realize the value of the plantings done by the pioneers.