We were saddened to learn of the recent passing of our plant friend, fern guru, Dr. John Mickel, at age 90. John had been dealing with significant memory issue over the last few years.
We first met John almost 30 years ago, when he was Pteridophyte (ferns) Curator at the NY Botanical Garden. John, and his wife Carol, visited JLBG several times, some times to teach fern classes, and other times just to walk through the gardens and talk and identify ferns. Few people have done more for the popularity of ferns in modern day US gardens than John. As a gardener, he was passionate about studying hardy ferns for garden use, something most taxonomists eschew.
Most of John’s fern research was centered on Mexico, culminating first in his 1988, Pteridophyte flora of Oaxaca, Mexico, followed by his monumental 2004 book in conjunction with Alan Smith, Pteridophytes of Mexico, which covered over 1000 fern species. John also published monographs of two fern genera, Anemia, and Elaphoglossum.
It was John’s 1994 book, Ferns for American Gardens, however, that ushered in a new era of fern lovers in the US. John’s easy-to-read and understand writing style set his books apart from others prior to this time. In his spare time, John loved to give back to the field of fern botany and gardening. He was the founder of the the New York Fern Society, and it’s secretary for 32 years. He was also the founder of the American Fern Society’s bulletin, Fiddlehead Forum, and its editor for two decades. These are but a few of John’s many contributions. Best of all, John was one of the kindest, most lovely people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Life well lived, my friend.
His book is a wonderful resource.
Tony, Thank you so much for introducing me to the giants of the plant world. These wonderful people who devoted themselves to some plant or group of plants to the lasting benefit of all of us – home gardeners as well as plant professionals. You are doing a wonderful service both in honoring the person and in helping carry on their passion by introducing your readers to them.
Just pulled out my copy of his book this past spring when adding ferns to my garden. Great book and reading this he was a wonderful person to have known. I think we as gardeners, or at least myself, have shelves of great resource books and never stop to think of all the work that goes into the writing of these resources that we benefit from. I will continue to use his book and think of a ‘thank you’ to him and others when I pull them off my shelves every season.
I first meet John at a talk he did for the Austin Fern society years ago. He was generous enoght to sign some books that he brought with him.He did a power point presentation with wonderful pictures of Ferns and his travels in Mexico.