Philip was a successful, much sought-after international horticultural consultant with many clients in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, and Australia.

In recent years, Philip divided his time mainly between Europe and Australia where he focused on water gardening for internet readers (GardenMessenger Yahoo, PondMessenger, SeedMessenger) while editing the International Water Gardener (including regional websites) and continuing to write for “hard copy” for various media. 

During his remarkable 45-year horticultural career, Philip won prestigious recognition as UK Garden Writer of the Year, Quill & Trowel Awardee from the Garden Writer’s Association (of America), and an IWGS Hall of Fame member. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Horticulture and the Linnean Society.

Prestigious fellowships and scholarships include Churchill Fellow (Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland), Nuffield Scholarship (East and West Coast, Hawaii, USA), Mary Helliar Scholarship (Czechoslovakia) and Soviet Academy of Sciences Fellowship (Russia [Moscow and St. Petersburg], Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). A linguist, Philip spoke French and Spanish and had moderate understanding of Dutch and Russian.

His beloved wife Hazel and their five adult children Thomas, Bernadette, James, Sean and Frank survive him. Philip was born to Grace and Roy Swindells 10 September 1945 and married Hazel (nee White) 30 September 1972.