The Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition

The first recorded national final was held in 1990 at Writtle College in Essex. The competition could not exist without the Shropshire Horticultural Society (SHS) who organise the fantastic Shrewsbury Flower show every year. The SHS fund a large proportion of the competition and in particular the £2,500 travel bursary awarded to the winner each year.

The funds come from a trust set up in honour of Percy Thrower. Percy was known to many as the first ever celebrity gardener and is recognised for his time on BBC Gardeners World from 1969 to 1976.

Round 1 takes place in February 2023 and consists of a multitude of question types (multiple choice, match the answer, true or false etc), covering a wide range of horticultural topics. Round 1 is held on-line. Competitors will be able to take part in Round 1 between 1st – 28th February.

The top 8 highest scorers from each region with receive £25 prize money each and claim a place in the regional final.

Regional finals will be physical events, taking place in March 2023.

Each regional final awards 1st place with £150, 2nd place receives £100 and 3rd place £75. The winners of each regional final progress on to the grand final.

The 2023 final will be held at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, on Saturday 6th May 2023.

The format of the Grand Final will consist of questions covering all sections of horticulture. The winner of the Final receives the £2,500 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary, provided by the Shropshire Horticultural Society & the Percy Thrower Trust, to fund a horticultural trip anywhere in the world. Second place winner goes home with £950, 3rd with £550 and the rest of the runners up all receive £200, all to be used in any way they wish.

Each of the finalists is also awarded membership to the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and PlantNetwork.

Previous winners have visited Borneo, China, New Zealand, South Africa, the Himalayas, and the Galapagos Islands to name just a few!