Caley Awards
The Society issues a number of prestigious awards, medals and certificates of merit in recognition of the achievements of professional horticulturalists, nurserymen, amateur gardeners, students and apprentices. You can find a brief description of each of our awards below to help you decide which category to nominate your chosen person or group in.
The awards are open to anyone. You do not need to be a Caley member to nominate someone for an award or to receive an award. You will find an online Award Nomination form below. If you would prefer a paper copy of the form, please contact our Administrator: administrator@rchs.co.uk and she will send you one.
Please complete the form with as much detail as you can. It is surprising how many people forget to include contact details for the nominee. The most successful nominations are the ones that include lots of information, particularly about all the extra things that people do. Just saying “they work hard” isn’t really enough. Remember, although you may know the person or group well, those sitting on the Awards Committee may not know them at all. Give us lots of detail so we can see the fantastic contribution they have made to Scottish Horticulture.
Nominations are now closed. if you have nominated someone for an award, you will be notified of the outcome after the Awards Committee have reached a decision. The awards will be presented at our Awards Ceremony in March 2024.
Our Awards
The Scottish Horticultural Medal (SHM): An award first introduced in 1959 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Society. The award is strictly limited to a maximum of 50 recipients at any one time and is awarded to anyone, anywhere, either professional or amateur, who has made an outstanding contribution to Scottish Horticulture. For a full list of those who currently hold the Scottish Horticultural Medal, please click here.
The Dr Patrick Neill Memorial Medal: An award to a Scottish botanist or cultivator. This medal is awarded biennially. The medal was established in 1851 by Dr Patrick Neill, one of the Founders and the first Secretary of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society: he instigated the award of this medal to a distinguished Scottish botanist or cultivator and a bequest to sustain it. To view a list of the holders of this medal, click here.
The Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Medal in Horticulture: Introduced in 1990 to mark the 90th birthday of the Society’s then Patron, the Queen Mother. The medal is awarded for outstanding service by a non-professional. To view a list of those who have been presented with this medal, click here.
The Dr Andrew Duncan Medal: Introduced in 2003 for distinguished service to horticulture by an educationalist, advisor or administrator. To see the list of those who have been presented with the Dr Andrew Duncan Medal, please click here.
Carter-Patterson Memorial Medal: An award to a high achieving horticulture student or apprentice. To see the list of previous recipients of this award, please click here.
Certificates of Merit: These awards were re-introduced in 2002 and acknowledge a wide range of service to gardening or horticulture.
Student Certificates of Merit: An award that recognises the achievements of students and apprentices of horticulture.
Horticultural Groups Award: an award that recognises the achievements of the many and varied groups working across Scottish horticulture – community groups, friends groups and many more.
