Ms. Wilson was born October 19, 1901, and died September 30, 2003, aged 101. She was listed in Who's Who of American Women and Foremost Women in Communications. From the dust jacket of her 1955 book Climbing Roses:

About the Author

Helen Van Pelt Wilson is one of the most beloved home gardeners in America. Wherever plants are grown at windows or in gardens, wherever they are cherished, her books are known and used.

Author, editor, lecturer, she has traveled all over this country—and also widely in Europe—visiting gardens everywhere, comparing notes with other enthusiasts, sharing their pleasure in growing things, considering their problems, and always urging them—to ENJOY their gardenings as she has hers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and now by a Connecticut brook.

Her horticultural articles have appeared in many national magazines and newspapers, and every year she edits the popular Flower Arrangement Calendar.