He travelled to Japan and Korea in 1903, publishing an account of his visit as The Gardens of Asia (1904). He was engaged in writing novels and poetry at this time, but also wrote the very successful My Rock Garden in 1907 and Alpines and Bog Plants in 1908. In the same year he travelled to Ceylon. His Craven Nursery Company won a first prize for alpines at Chelsea in May 1912.
He later travelled to China and Tibet, finding many new specimens. In 1919 he went to Upper Burma, discovering many new stunning plants, few of which were able to be raised in Britain. He continued his journey to Nyitadi, where he died in 1920, probably of diphtheria.
Bibliography
Morgan, Basil, 'Farrer, Reginald John (1880-1920)' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Oct 2006) [accessed 23 June 2009]