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.