The Young Horticulturist of the Year competition 2017 has begun!

The prize is a £2500 travel bursary, so why not enter for a chance to go on a trip of a lifetime?

For anyone under 30 the YHoY competition is a fantastic opportunity to explore an interest in horticulture, test your knowledge and get the opportunity to network with horticultural enthusiasts all over the UK and Ireland. We meet thousands of horticulturists every year as they battle their way through three challenging rounds.

2016 winner Lawrence Wright is in the first stages of planning how to use his £2500 Percy Thrower Trust Travel Bursary and is considering a trip to Australia. He is currently working as a horticulturist & plantsman at the Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall, having completed his studies at RHS Gardens Wisley.

Our 2015 YHoY winner Jessica Evans, Senior Gardener at the National Trusts Tintinhull Gardens in Somerset said “I would now really like to support the running of the competition and encourage others to take part as it is vitally important to celebrate the quality and knowledge of young horticulturists”

Whether you are a student, an apprentice or trainee in the industry, or simply have a love of horticulture, you will be able to take part. The heats are held at venues all over the country or via Skype and each region then selects eight of the top scoring entrants from across their region to attend their YHoY Regional Final! There are prizes and monetary rewards at each of these two stages which are provided by our sponsors.

The 27th Grand Final is being held at the University of Chester in Shrewsbury on May 6th. The University is home of Percy Thrower and the Shropshire Horticultural Society, platinum sponsors of the competition and the travel bursary.

Entrants under 30 on July 31st 2017 can take part in the competition, and can start to enter from today by emailing susan.nicholas@btinternet.com declaring an interest in competing and she will get back to you with full details.

To find out even more about the competition visit  https://www.horticulture.org.uk/page.php?pageid=562