Isabella Preston “Queen of Ornamental Horticulture” - Innovation Canada 150
▻http://innovationcanada150.ca/2016/05/isabella-preston-queen-of-ornamental-horticulture
An ornamental plant pioneer, Isabella Preston created nearly 200 new hardy hybrids of lily, lilac, crab apple, iris and roses for Canada’s cold climate. During her 26-year career, she quietly challenged gender bias. When she began working in 1912, female plant breeders were rather rare. She became the first professional female hybridist in Canada in 1916. She was the first person to focus solely on breeding ornamental plants and her work set the stage for new generations of breeding programs at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, and elsewhere.