hellyer worked for "amateur gardening" magazine from 1929 to 1966, and edited that magazine for 21 years; he also contributed gardening columns to the "financial times", "country life" magazine, and "homes and gardens'" magazine. according to alan boon, hellyer asked thomas w. sanders "what prospects there were for a young man in horticultural journalism.t.w.s. replied, "none whatsoever. i have an assistant who has been with me for 30 years, and when he dies i shall require one replacement." as it happened, hellyer worked 16 years with the self same assistant (named h.a. smith) before he retired."