{{Short description|British horticulturalist and broadcaster (1879–1975)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Frederick Streeter''' (25 June 1879 – 1 November 1975) was a British horticulturalist and broadcaster.<ref name="Henning1">{{cite book|last=Hennig|first=Frank|title=Fred Streeter's Gardening Year}}</ref><ref name="Hennig2">{{cite book|last=Hennig|first=Frank|title=Cheerio Frank, Cheerio Everybody: Biography of Fred Streeter}}</ref><ref name="odnb">{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/95219|title=Frederick Streeter|last=Waymark|first=Janet|date=May 2009|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/95219|accessdate=26 July 2014}}</ref>
Streeter was born in Pulborough, Sussex, England, on 25 June 1879, to farm worker James Streeter and Dinah (''née'' Sayers).<ref name="odnb" /><ref>According to the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Streeter gave his birth date as 25 June 1877, but it was registered by his mother as 25 June 1879</ref> The family moved to Dorking in Surrey, where he was educated at North Holmwood; and later to Reigate, after which he attended Reigate Grammar School.<ref name="odnb" /> He left school at twelve years of age. He often had to move around for his gardening work in order to gain experience and promotion. He worked for Veitchs the famous nurserymen in Kings Road, Chelsea, then moved to Straffan, a large estate in Ireland, and from there, in 1901, to Basing Park near Alton as foreman, where he met his wife Hilda, née Burden (2 February 1880 – 26 February 1966).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://parksandgardensuk.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/capability-fred/ |title=parksandgardensuk.wordpress |access-date=19 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402175500/https://parksandgardensuk.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/capability-fred/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He secured his first job as a head gardener in his twenties.
Streeter was awarded the MBE in the 1973 Birthday Honours.
==Presenting== He presented the BBC radio programme ''Home Grown'', with Roy Hay, that occupied the two o'clock slot on Sunday afternoon that was later occupied by ''Gardener's Question Time''. He also worked on television.<ref name="odnb"/>
In 1945, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour, its highest award.<ref name="odnb" /> He appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme ''Desert Island Discs'' on 15 July 1957.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009y8tg |title=Desert Island Discs - Castaway : Fred Streeter |work=BBC Online |publisher=BBC |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref>
He died on 1 November 1975 at Petworth House Gardens in Petworth, Sussex, his home. His final broadcast, which was prerecorded, was transmitted on the same day.<ref name="odnb"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Streeter, Fred}} Category:1879 births Category:Place of birth missing Category:1975 deaths Category:British horticulturists Category:BBC radio presenters Category:People from Petworth Category:People from Pulborough Category:People educated at Reigate Grammar School Category:Veitch Nurseries Category:Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire
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