Hill Hassall Botanics (I of Wight)

“Recognising the wisdom of the Ancient Aborigines, we wondered in what creative way we could bring the magic of Eucalyptus into the world…”, so runs the blurb for a cordial made from one of the most widely-introduced and thirsty trees on the planet, one critical to its native Australia but a blight on regions as diverse as the Galapagos, Portugal, the South African veld, and the Scottish lowlands. That’s not a reason to list Hill Hassall on bloodbusiness though of course. So why have we listed them? Because the founder of the business, ‘John, the old guy on the ladder‘ as he is described on the ‘About’ page, is none other than John Talbot Curtis who we’ve already listed in his capacity as Director of the Ventnor Botanic Garden because he has been a Master with the Isle of Wight Foxhounds since the 2014-2015 season and its Director since 2107. Hill Hassall Botanics shares an address with and sources its eucalypt leaves from…you guessed it: “Ventnor Botanic Garden is the former site of Dr. Hassall’s hospital, the birthplace of Hill Hassall Botanics, and the home of our Eucalyptus trees.”