The Veitch Memorial Medal
Encyclopedia
The Veitch Memorial Medal, is a prestigious international prize issued annually by the Royal Horticultural Society
(RHS).
of Chelsea. At first, the prize was issued by the Veitch Memorial Trust, but from 1885, the Medals were awarded at the Orchid Conference. Since 1922, the Royal Horticultural Society
(RHS) has been in charge of the Medal.
David Wheeler (founder and editor of Hortus: A Gardening Journal)
Dr Joan Morgan (writer and historian)
Jozef Van Assche (Secretary ISHS)
Recipients in 2008 were:
Dr James Beard for his lifelong contribution to the development and application of scientific principles to turfgrass culture. Dr Beard founded the International Sports Turf Institute and has served the international horticultural community for the past 50 years through research, teaching and leadership.
Michael Nelson for his outstanding practical work over many years in the restoration of the Lost Gardens of Heligan
, one of Cornwall's best-known tourist attractions.
For the 2007 list of winners, please see 2007 Manual
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
(RHS).
Goal
The prize is awarded to "persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture" .History
The prize was first planned in 1870, in memorial of James VeitchJames Veitch, Jr.
James Veitch was the third in a long line of horticulturists who established the renowned family business Veitch Nurseries....
of Chelsea. At first, the prize was issued by the Veitch Memorial Trust, but from 1885, the Medals were awarded at the Orchid Conference. Since 1922, the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
(RHS) has been in charge of the Medal.
Winners
Recipients in 2009 were:David Wheeler (founder and editor of Hortus: A Gardening Journal)
Dr Joan Morgan (writer and historian)
Jozef Van Assche (Secretary ISHS)
Recipients in 2008 were:
Dr James Beard for his lifelong contribution to the development and application of scientific principles to turfgrass culture. Dr Beard founded the International Sports Turf Institute and has served the international horticultural community for the past 50 years through research, teaching and leadership.
Michael Nelson for his outstanding practical work over many years in the restoration of the Lost Gardens of Heligan
Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth century Gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles.The gardens were created by members of...
, one of Cornwall's best-known tourist attractions.
For the 2007 list of winners, please see 2007 Manual
List of winners
- 1892 : John Heal (c1841 - 1925)
- 1896 : Charles Sprague SargentCharles Sprague SargentCharles Sprague Sargent was an American botanist. He was the first director of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts and the standard botanical author abbreviation Sarg. is applied to plants he described.-Biography:Sargent was the second son of Henrietta and...
(1841 - 1927) (USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - 1897 : Liberty Hyde BaileyLiberty Hyde BaileyLiberty Hyde Bailey was an American horticulturist, botanist and cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.-Biography:...
(1858-1954) (USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - 1899 : Thomas Francis Rivers (1831-1899)
- 1901 : Richard Irwin Lynch (1850-1924)
- 1901 : Thomas MeehanThomas MeehanThomas Meehan , was a noted British-born nurseryman, botanist and author. He worked as a Kew gardener in 1846–1848, and thereafter he moved to Germantown in Philadelphia...
(1826-1901) (USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - 1906 : Ernest Henry WilsonErnest Henry WilsonErnest Henry "Chinese" Wilson , better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable English plant collector who introduced a large range of about 2000 of Asian plant species to the West; some sixty bear his name.-Career:...
(1876-1930) - 1907 : John Gilbert BakerJohn Gilbert BakerJohn Gilbert Baker was an English botanist.Baker was born in Guisborough, the son of John and Mary Baker and educated at Quaker schools in Ackworth and York....
(1834-1920) - 1922 : William Jackson BeanWilliam Jackson BeanWilliam Jackson Bean was a British botanist and plantsman, who was curator of Kew Gardens from 1922 to 1929. He was responsible for some of the present collections of trees and woody plants there....
(1863-1947) - 1923 : Richard Irwin Lynch (1850-1924)
- 1925 : David PrainDavid PrainSir David Prain FRS was a Scottish botanist.-Biography:Prain was born to a saddler in Fettercairn, Kincardineshire, Scotland and studied at the local Parish Schhool and the University of Aberdeen. He taught for two years at Ramsgate College and then returned to Scotland to enter the University of...
(1857-1944) - 1927 : George ForrestGeorge Forrest (botanist)George Forrest was a Scottish botanist, who was one of the first explorers of China's then remote southwestern province of Yunnan, generally regarded as the most biodiverse province in the country....
(1873-1932) - 1929 : Alfred Barton RendleAlfred Barton RendleAlfred Barton Rendle FRS was an English botanist.Rendle was born in Lewisham and studied at St John's College, Cambridge...
(1865-1938) - 1930 : Sir William Wright SmithWilliam Wright SmithSir William Wright Smith FRS FRSE DèsSc FLS VMH was a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist....
(1875-1956) - 1931 : Otto StapfOtto StapfOtto Stapf FRS was an Austrian born botanist and taxonomist.Stapf trained in Vienna, moving to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1890. He was keeper of the Herbarium from 1909 to 1920...
(1857-1933) - 1932 : Leonard CockayneLeonard CockayneLeonard Cockayne FRS is regarded as New Zealand's greatest botanist and a founder of modern science in New Zealand.-Biography:He was born in Sheffield, England where he attended Wesley College...
(1855-1934) - 1934 : Francis Kingdon-Ward (1885-1958)
- 1935 : Edward James SalisburyEdward James SalisburySir Edward James Salisbury FRS was an English botanist and ecologist. He was born in Harpenden, Hertfordshire and graduated in botany from University College London in 1905. In 1913, he obtained a D.Sc. with a thesis on fossil seeds and was appointed a senior lecturer at East London College...
(1886-1978) - 1936 : Arthur William HillArthur William Hill (botanist)Sir Arthur William Hill FLS FRS , was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a noted botanist and taxonomist....
(1875-1941) - 1937 : John HutchinsonJohn HutchinsonJohn Hutchinson may refer to:*John Hutchinson , leader in the 17th century Puritan revolt in Britain*John Hutchinson , English writer...
(1884-1972) - 1938 : Morley Benjamin Crane (1890-1983)
- 1953 : William Bertram TurrillWilliam Bertram TurrillWilliam Bertram Turrill OBE was an English botanist.He was born in Woodstock, Oxfordshire to William Banbury and Thirza Mary Turrill and educated at the Woodstock National School...
(1890-1961) - 1964 : Frances PerryFrances PerryFrances Mary Perry was a gardener, administrator, writer and broadcaster.She was born Frances Everett in Enfield, Middlesex, where she lived most of her life. She was educated at Enfield County School and Swanley Horticultural College .Her mother took her as a child to the Chelsea Flower Show...
(1907-1993) - 1964 : William Thomas Stearn (1911-2001)
- 1965 : William Douglas CookWilliam Douglas CookWilliam Douglas Cook was the founder of Eastwoodhill Arboretum, now the national arboretum of New Zealand, and one of the founders of Pukeiti, a rhododendron garden, close to New Plymouth...
(New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) (1884-1967) - 1966 : Graham Stuart ThomasGraham Stuart ThomasGraham Stuart Thomas OBE , was an English horticulturalist, artist, author, poet and garden designer.He was born in Cambridge and studied in the University Botanic Garden at Cambridge University...
(1909-2003) - 1968 : John Stuart YeatesJohn Stuart YeatesJohn Stuart Yeates, MBE, PhD , also known as Jack Yeates, was a New Zealand academic and botanist. The founding head of Agricultural Botany at Massey Agricultural College, he was also an accomplished breeder of azaleas, rhododendrons and lilies.-Early life and education:Born into a farming family...
(New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) (1900-1986) - 1972 : Roy LancasterRoy LancasterRoy Lancaster, OBE is a British gardener and broadcaster.Charles Roy Lancaster was born in Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire and best known for his work on the long running BBC TV programme, Gardeners' World...
(1938-) - 1974 : John Bergmans ([Netherlands]) (1892-1980)
- 1976 : Alice Margaret Coats (1905-1978)
- 1977 : Iris BannochieIris BannochieIris Bannochie was a Barbadian horticulturalist who was the leading expert on horticulture on the island of Barbados. With her second husband, John, she created and owned Andromeda Gardens, a scenic park with strikingly attractive flowering plants and tropical trees in the village of Bathsheba,...
(1914-1988) - 1978 : Gavin Brown (?-?) Frederick Alkmund Roach (1909-2004)
- 1979 : Fred Whitsey (1919-2009)
- 1981 : David RobinsonDavid Robinson (horticulturist)Professor David Willis Robinson , BSc, MS, PhD, VMM, FI was an Irish horticultural scientist who made important contributions to the national and international field of horticulture and agriculture throughout his entire life. After a working life in the field of research, retirement saw his life...
(1928-2004) - 1987 : Ambrose Congreve (1907-2011)
- 1990 : Chen HangChen HangChen Hang was born in 1931. She is a notable botanist and horticulturist.- Career :Chen was born in Guangde County, Anhui Province. In 1949, she studied in the Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University...
(1931?-) - 1991 : John L. Creech (1920-2009)
- 1993 : Joy Larkcom (?-?)
- 1993 : Brent Elliott (?-?)
- 1996 : Jane G Pepper (1945-)
- 1999 : Sonja BernadotteSonja BernadotteSonja Anita Maria Countess Bernadotte af Wisborg was the widow of Count Lennart Bernadotte, grandson of Sweden's King Gustaf V through his father, Prince Wilhelm, the king's second son, married in Mainau on 29 April 1971.She managed the Mainau estate on Lake Constance in southern Germany which...
(1944-2008) - 1999 : Helen Dillon (?-?)
- 2000 : Maurice and Brian Woodfield
- 2001 : Francis Higginson CabotFrancis CabotFrancis Higginson Cabot, was an American gardener and horticulturist.A 1949 graduate of Harvard College, Cabot was active in the Hasty Pudding Theatricals and was one of the four founders of the a cappella singing group, the Harvard Krokodiloes...
(1925-?) - 2002 : Piet OudolfPiet OudolfPiet Oudolf is an influential Dutch garden designer, nurseryman and author. He is a leading figure of the "New Perennial" or "New Wave Planting" movement, using bold drifts of herbaceous perennial plants and grasses which are chosen for their structure as much as for their flower colour .His books...
(1944-) - 2002 : Stella Ross-CraigStella Ross-CraigStella Ross-Craig was an Anglo-Scottish illustrator best known as a prolific illustrator of native flora.- Early life and career :...
(1906-2006) - 2003 : Martin John Bukovac (?-?)
- 2007 : Rex Dibley
- 2007 : Daniel John HinkleyDaniel J. HinkleyDaniel John Hinkley is an American plantsman, garden writer, horticulturist and nurseryman. He is best known for establishing Heronswood Nursery, in Kingston, Washington; and Windcliff, on the Kitsap Peninsula near Indianola, WA; and for collecting, propagating, and naming varieties of plants new...
(1953-) - 2008 : James Beard (?-?)
- 2008 : Michael Nelson (?-?)
- 2009 : David Wheeler (1945-)
- 2009 : Joan Morgan
- 2009 : Jozef Vasn Assche
- 2010 : Dr. Stefan T. Buczacki
- Date unknown : Alfred Daniel HallAlfred Daniel HallSir Alfred Daniel Hall, FRS, sometimes known as Sir Daniel Hall was a British agricultural educationist and researcher.He was born in Rochdale, Lancashire....
(1864-1942) - Date unknown : Thomas WallaceThomas WallaceThomas Wallace may refer to:* Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace , British politician, President of the Board of Control and Vice President of the Board of Trade* Thomas W...
(1891-1965) - Date unknown : Wilfrid Jasper Walter BluntWilfrid Jasper Walter BluntWilfrid Jasper Walter Blunt was an art teacher, author, artist and curator of the Watts Gallery at Compton, Surrey. He taught art at Haileybury College and Eton College and helped to start a revolution in the hand-writing of British school-children, using the 15th c...
(1901-1987) - Date unknown : Werner RauhWerner RauhWerner Rauh was an internationally renowned German botanist and author.-Biography:Born in the town of Niemegk in Brandenburg, Rauh studied at the University of Halle under the famous morphologist Wilhelm Troll and received his doctorate in 1937 before coming to the University of Heidelberg two...
(1913-2000) - Date unknown : D. G. HessayonD. G. HessayonDavid Gerald Hessayon is a British author and botanist of Cypriot descent who is known for a best-selling series of gardening manuals known as the "Expert Guides" under his title Dr. D. G. Hessayon. The series started in 1958 with Be Your Own Gardening Expert and in 2008 the celebrated their 50th...
(1928-) - Date unknown : Harold HillierHarold HillierSir Harold George Hillier was an English horticulturist.In 1921 he joined the family firm, Hillier Nurseries, his early career spent in assisting his father in rebuilding stocks depleted by World War I...
(1905-1985)