RENOWNED Inverclyde gardening expert George Irvine has passed away after a short period of ill health.
Mr Irvine was chairman of Gourock Horticultural Society, former organiser of Gourock Garden Party, long time judge of the popular Gardenfest competition and weekly gardening columnist for the Greenock Telegraph.
Tribute has been paid to Mr Irvine on Cardwell Garden Centre’s website. Director Kieran Gallagher said: “I’ve known George for as long as I can remember. After my dad died, I joined George as a judge for the Gardenfest competition and we travelled Inverclyde to explore the area’s amazing gardens, with George being the expert and me as his apprentice!
“We became good friends and I enjoyed a long chat with George regularly. I visited him very recently, we had a great catch up and discussed our plans for the future. It’s such a shock that he’s gone. It’s a very sad day for all his friends.
“As one of the area’s best known and knowledgeable garden lovers, George will be sadly missed throughout Inverclyde and the wider region.
“Cardwell Garden Centre’s flags have been lowered to half mast as a show of our love and respect for George. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who knew him.”
Born in 1941, Mr Irvine was a renowned industrial chemist in Greenock and travelled the world as a water purification expert.
