Chris Brickell was director of RHS Wisley from 1969 to 1985, and director general of the Royal Horticultural Society from 1985 to 1993.
In 1978 he founded the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.
Brickell has written and edited many books, articles and papers on horticultural and botanical topics, and was consultant editor of The Plantsman until 2005.