Victoria Medal of Honour explained
The Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH) is awarded to British horticulturists resident in the United Kingdom whom the Royal Horticultural Society Council considers deserving of special honour by the Society.
The award was established in 1897 "in perpetual remembrance of Her Majesty's glorious reign, and to enable the Council to confer honour on British horticulturists." The Society's rules state that only sixty-three horticulturists can hold the VMH at any given time, in commemoration of the sixty-three years of Queen Victoria's reign. Therefore, the honour is not awarded every year, but may be made to multiple recipients in other years.
Awards
1897 – The first 60 medallists
The first 60 medals were awarded on 26 October 1897:[1]
1900–1909
- 1900
- George Herbert Engleheart (1851–1936)[3] breeder of daffodils
- Trevor Lawrence (1831–1913), President of the Royal Horticultural Society 1885 to 1913
- 1901
- 1902
- 1903
- Thomas Smith, Daisy Hill Nursery
- 1904
- 1905
- 1906
1910–1919
- 1911
- Charles Robert Fielder (1857-1946 Bramshaw)
- 1912
- 1916
- 1917
1920–1929
- 1921
- 1922
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- Frederick Robert Stephen Balfour (1873–1945)[19]
- 1928
- 1929
1930–1939
- 1931
- 1933
- 1934
- 1935
- Amos Perry (1871–1953), of Perry's Plant Farm[4]
- 1936
- Stephenson Robert Clarke (1862–1948), of Borde Hill[20]
- James Comber (1866–1953), of Nymans, Handcross[21]
- Frederick Augustus Secrett (1886–1964) [22]
- 1938
- 1939
- Charles Percival Raffill M.B.E.(1876–1951), Curator, Kew Gardens. Raffill was also honoured in 1934 as an Associate of Honour of the Royal Horticultural Society (AHRHS).[25]
1940–1949
- 1940
- 1941
- Edwin Lawrence Hillier – Hillier Nurseries [26]
- 1942
- 1943
- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
- 1948
- 1949
- Ernest Ballard (1870–1952)
- Harry Higgott Thomas (1876–1956) – Editor of Popular Gardening
1950–1959
- 1951
- Peter Crichton Kay (1889–1954)[29]
- 1952
- 1953
- 1954
- Raymond Henry Stoughton (1903–1979)
- 1955
- Robert L. Scarlett : for his contributions to horticultural experimental work in Scotland & United Kingdom.
- Lilian Snelling (1879–1972)[35]
- 1957
- 1958
1960–1969
- 1960
- Maurice Mason (1912–1993)
- 1961
- 1963
- 1964
- Gwendolyn Anley [4]
- Hans Hvass – Danish writer on natural history
- 1965
- 1967
- 1968
1970–1979
- 1970
- 1971
- 1973
- 1974
- Roy Copeman Elliott (Alpine gardener)
- Martin O. Slocock
- 1975
- 1976
- 1977
- 1978
- W Martin Robinson, vegetable expert.
- 1979
1980–1989
- 1980
- Leonard Broadbent (1916–2002) – Professor in Biology at the University of Bath[58]
- Sheila Macqueen – Flower arranger[4]
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
- 1984
- Kath Dryden (−2009) – alpine plant expert[61]
- 1985
- 1986
- Lady Anne Berry (1919–)[63]
- Robin A.E. Herbert (1934–2024) Former President of RHS
- John B. Simmons (1937–)
- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
1990–1999
- 1990
- 1991
- 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
2000–2009
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003[75]
- Peter Beales (1936–2013) for his rose breeding and media promotion of gardening
- Andrew Dunn for his pioneering of virus-free rootstock
- Peter Seabrook (1935–) for his rose breeding
- 2004
- Ray Bilton for his work with orchid hybrids
- David S. Ingram (1941–) for his pioneering research into plant diseases
- Alan Titchmarsh for his broadcasting and authorial gardening educational outreach[76]
- 2005[77]
- Martin Lane Fox for his work in landscape garden design
- Tony Lord for his work as a garden photographer and horticultural consultant
- Edmund Leopold de Rothschild for his work with rhododendron hybrids
- Tom Wood for his administrative work promoting horticulture
- 2006[78]
- Jim Buttress, for his work as a garden show judge
- Sibylle Kreutzberger, for her work at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent
- Dr. Henry Oakeley, for his scientific work on orchids, the genera Lycaste, Ida and Anguloa
- Pamela Schwerdt, for her work at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent
- 2007[79]
- Colin Ellis – "for his long and distinguished service since 1983 with RHS Council and numerous committees."
- Christopher Grey-Wilson – for "his many achievements as botanist, photographer, botanical explorer and author of many books and articles."
- Sir Richard Carew Pole (1938–) – former RHS President
- Brian Self – "for his lifetime of service to amateur and professional fruit growers."
- 2008
- John Ravenscroft – "for his plantsmanship, entrepreneurial talent and encyclopaedic knowledge of plants."
- 2009
- Charles Baring, 2nd Baron Howick of Glendale
- Charles III - "for his passion for plants, sustainable gardening and the environment."[80]
- John Humphris
- Lady Christine Skelmersdale [81]
2010–present
- 2010
- Peter R. Dawson [64]
- Michael Hickson [64]
- Robert T. Hillier [64]
- John Massey – "for his valuable contribution to plantbreeding "
- Dowager Marchioness Salisbury [64]
- 2011[82]
- Giles Coode-Adams
- Maurice C. Foster
- Richard Webb
- 2012[83]
- 2013[84]
- 2014
- 2015 Not awarded
- 2016 [86]
- Mark Flanagan (posthumously)
- Johan Hermans
- 2017 [87]
- 2018 [88]
- 2019
- 2020[89]
- Christopher Bailes
- Jim Gardiner
- Jim (James) McColl
- 2022[90]
- 2023[92]
- Jim Marshall
- Paul Phillips
- Jon Wheatley
- 2024[93]
- Jan Pennings
- Chris Lane
- Neil Lucas
See also
External links
Notes and References
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- The Garden, August 2009, page 511 (Royal Horticultural Society)
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