Roger Parsons has been a professional horticulturist since 1970 and started growing sweet peas as a hobby in 1984. Concern at the loss of sweet pea varieties led Roger to establish a seed bank to conserve existing varieties and in 2005 he set up a seed business, Roger Parsons Sweet Peas, to ensure that the diverse range of varieties can be enjoyed by gardeners around the world. Roger maintains the UK National Collection of Sweet Peas, is well-known as a trustee of NSPC and is currently their membership secretary. He was a former chairman of the RHS Sweet Pea Trials Committee and has successfully raised and introduced new, award-winning varieties.
