I've wondered how old he must've been by now. He and his son have written some good books. I visited Bressingham Gardens in ~1994.

What sparked my interest was orange Papaver orientale. Before that it was birds and dinosaurs (I've been at it a long time). Although I have of course picked up worthwhile things from various college instructors, employers and associates, I've had nobody I would call a mentor.

My very first horticultural book purchase ( not prescribed by a professor ) was Alan Blooms book "Pernnials for your Garden".
My second horticultural book purchase was Alan Blooms book "Alpines for your garden".

I was a budding maintenance gardener / garden designer up on the rugged Pacific Northwest Coast and came to rely on these two books when maintaining and installing perennial gardens at various bed and breakfast inns and private residences.

Living in a small remote coastal community that did not have a library , though we did have a 'book mobile', I depended alot on these two books .

Alan Bloom had a definite impact on my life as a young gardener.
Some of the island beds that I carved out + planted can still be seen growing at some of the gardens that I created up on the coast , all of them were influenced by my reading of Alan Blooms books.

I suspect he provided many gardeners across the world with some of their initial educational 'building blocks'.
For me, he gave me the tools to carve out my corner stone .

Thank you Alan Bloom, you will be missed.

He was a master of highly contrasting color while maintaining unity which is a powerful thing.

Rest in peace, Mr. Bloom.

Like Mich, I was inspired as a young gardener by his perennial book.

He influenced many, many gardeners.

That he lived to be 98 is a testament to the healthful pursuit of our trade!