D. G. Hessayon

Hessayon is the son of a Cypriot landowner and grew up in Salford, Lancashire, England. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree in botany from Leeds University. In 1950, he travelled to the United States where he worked as the editor of a small town newspaper. In 1953, he went to the Gold Coast as a Research Fellow at the University College before returning to Manchester to obtain his doctorate in soil ecology. In 1955, he accepted a position as chief scientist with Pan Britannica Industries Ltd (PBI), becoming chairman in 1972. It was whilst working for PBI that Dr. Hessayon formulated the idea for his "Expert" guides to gardening.

A steady stream of publications followed the initial Be Your Own Gardening Expert, each maintaining the basic formula of down-to-earth writing with pictures, charts, and photographs. On the British bestsellers list for the 1980s, two Experts were in the Top 10. There are (as of 2009) over 20 "Expert" titles in 22 languages and in Britain their sales continue to dominate the gardening paperback lists.[3] The Vegetable & Herb Expert [4] continues to be the best seller.

I would say that the Expert Books have been the biggest innovation in gardening publications since the death of William Robinson in 1938

— Dr. Brent Elliott, Librarian, Royal Horticultural Society, [5]

In 1993, he received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement award at the British Book Awards. He was also awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1992 for his contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture. In 1999, he was awarded a Guinness World Records certificate for being Britain's "bestselling non-fiction author of the 1990s".

Despite a resolve to stay out of the limelight,[6] he has received further awards- a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Garden Media Guild,[7] three honorary doctorates [8] and, in 2007, an OBE.

Since 1959, Hessayon has written many books.

• Potato Growers Handbook (with P G Fenemore) (1961)
• Silage Makers' Handbook (with Christopher Hugh Wood) (1962)
• The Garden Book of Europe (1973), ISBN 0241023866
• The Armchair Book of the Garden (1983), ISBN 0712602348
• The Bio Friendly Gardening Guide (1990), ISBN 0903505339
• The Bedside Book of the Garden (2008), ISBN 9780903505697

Expert Series

• Be your own Gardening Expert (1959, republished 1961)
• Be your own House Plant Expert (1961, revised 1967)
• Be your own Lawn Expert (1961, revised 1968)
• Be your own Rose Expert (with Harry Wheatcroft) (1965)
• Vegetable Plotter (1976), ISBN 0903505061
• Be your own House Plant Spotter (with J. P. Hessayon) (1977), ISBN 090350507X
• Be your own Vegetable Doctor (1978), ISBN 0903505088
• Be your own Garden Doctor (1978), ISBN 0903505096
• The House Plant Expert (1980), ISBN 0903505134
• The Rose Expert (1981), ISBN 0903505142
• The Cereal Disease Expert (1982), ISBN 0903505169
• The Lawn Expert (1982), ISBN 0903505150
• The Tree & Shrub Expert (1983), ISBN 0903505177
• The Flower Expert (1984), ISBN 0903505193
• The Indoor Plant Spotter (1985), ISBN 0903505215
• The Garden Expert (1986), ISBN 0903505223
• The Gold-Plated House Plant Expert (1987), ISBN 0712616985
• The Home Expert (1987), ISBN 090350524X
• Rose Jotter (1989), ISBN 0903505274
• Vegetable Jotter (1989), ISBN 0903505282
• Be your own Greenhouse Expert (1990) ISBN 0903505320
• The Bedding Plant Expert (1991), ISBN 0903505347
• The New House Plant Expert (1991), ISBN 0903505355
• The Vegetable Expert (1991), 1991 ISBN 0903505207
• The Garden DIY Expert (1992), ISBN 0903505371
• The Rock & Water Garden Expert (1993), ISBN 090350538X
• The Flower Arranging Expert (1994, ISBN 090350541X
• The Flowering Shrub Expert (1994), ISBN 0903505398
• The Greenhouse Expert (1994), ISBN 0903505401
• The Bulb Expert (1995), ISBN 0903505428
• The Container Expert (1995), ISBN 0903505436
• The Easy-care Garden Expert (1996), ISBN 0903505444
• The New Rose Expert (1996), ISBN 0903505479
• The New Bedding Plant Expert (1996), ISBN 0903505452
• The New Lawn Expert (1997), ISBN 0903505487
• The New Vegetable & Herb Expert (1997, revised 2014), 1997 ISBN 0903505460 2014 ISBN 9780903505758
• The Evergreen Expert (1998), ISBN 0903505517
• The New Flower Expert (1999), ISBN 0903505525
• The Pocket Flower Expert (2001), ISBN 090350555X
• The Pocket Garden Troubles Expert (2001), ISBN 0903505541
• The Pocket Tree & Shrub Expert (2001), ISBN 0903505568
• The Pocket House Plant Expert (2002), ISBN 0903505592
• The Pocket Vegetable Expert (2002), ISBN 0903505576
• The Home DIY Expert (2003), ISBN 0903505584
• The Garden Revival Expert (2004), ISBN 0903505606
• The House Plant Expert - Book Two (2005), ISBN 0903505614
• The Pest and Weed Expert (2007), ISBN 9780903505628
• The Orchid Expert (2008), ISBN 9780903505673
• The Green Garden Expert (2009), ISBN 9780903505635
• The Expert Vegetable Notebook (2009), ISBN 9780903505765
• The Best of Experts (2010), ISBN 9780903505932
• The Garden to Kitchen Expert (Judith Wills with D.G. Hessayon) (2011), ISBN 9780903505925
• The Complete Garden Expert (2012), ISBN 9780903505987
• The Indoor Plant & Flower Expert (2013), ISBN 9781909663008
• The New Fruit Expert (2015), ISBN 9780903505741