The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London,
is the UK's leading
gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits ...
charity.
The RHS promotes
horticulture
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
through its five gardens at
Wisley
__NOTOC__
Wisley is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England between Cobham and Woking, in the Borough of Guildford. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village and Ockham and ...
(Surrey),
Hyde Hall
Hyde Hall is a US neoclassical country mansion designed by architect Philip Hooker for George Clarke (1768–1835), a wealthy landowner. The house was constructed between 1817 and 1834, and designed with English and American architectural featu ...
(Essex),
Harlow Carr
Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upper ...
(North Yorkshire),
Rosemoor (Devon) and
Bridgewater (Greater Manchester); flower shows including the
Chelsea Flower Show,
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
The Hampton Court Garden Festival (formerly The Hampton Court Flower Show) is an annual British flower show, held in early July. The show is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond u ...
,
Tatton Park Flower Show
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park held at Tatton Park, near Knutsford, Cheshire, first began in 1999 by the Royal Horticultural Society. The show houses the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Young Designer of the Year Award and a wide range of ins ...
and Cardiff Flower Show; community gardening schemes; Britain in Bloom and a vast educational programme. It also supports training for professional and amateur gardeners. the president was
Keith Weed and the director general was
Sue Biggs CBE.
History
Founders
The creation of a British horticultural society was suggested by
John Wedgwood (son of
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indus ...
) in 1800. His aims were fairly modest: he wanted to hold regular meetings, allowing the society's members the opportunity to present papers on their horticultural activities and discoveries, to encourage discussion of them, and to publish the results. The society would also award prizes for gardening achievements.
Wedgwood discussed the idea with his friends, but it was four years before the first meeting, of seven men, took place, on 7 March 1804 at
Hatchards
Hatchards claims to be the oldest bookshop in the United Kingdom, founded on Piccadilly in 1797 by John Hatchard. After one move, it has been at the same location on Piccadilly next to Fortnum & Mason since 1801, and the two stores are also nei ...
bookshop in
Piccadilly, London. Wedgwood was chairman; also present were
William Townsend Aiton
William Townsend Aiton FRHS FLS (2 February 1766 – 9 October 1849) was an English botanist. He was born at Kew on 2 February 1766, the eldest son of William Aiton.
He brought out a second and enlarged edition of the '' Hortus Kewensis'' in 18 ...
(successor to his father,
William Aiton
William Aiton (17312 February 1793) was a Scottish botanist.
Aiton was born near Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Philip Miller, then superinten ...
, as Superintendent of
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...
), Sir
Joseph Banks (President of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
),
James Dickson James or Jim Dickson may refer to:
Politicians
*James Dickson (Scottish politician) (c. 1715–1771), MP for Lanark Burghs 1768–1771
*James Dickson (New South Wales politician) (1813–1863), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
*Ja ...
(a nurseryman),
William Forsyth (Superintendent of the gardens of
St. James's Palace and
Kensington Palace),
Charles Francis Greville
Charles Francis Greville PC FRS FRSE FLS FSA (12 May 1749 – 23 April 1809) was a British antiquarian, collector and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1790.
Early life
Greville was the second son of Francis Greville ...
(a
Lord of the Admiralty
This is a list of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660).
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of The Board of Admiralty, which exercised the office of Lord High Admiral when it was ...
) and
Richard Anthony Salisbury
Richard Anthony Salisbury, FRS (born Richard Anthony Markham; 2 May 1761 – 23 March 1829) was a British botanist. While he carried out valuable work in horticultural and botanical sciences, several bitter disputes caused him to be ostracised ...
, who became the Secretary of the new society.
[
Banks proposed his friend ]Thomas Andrew Knight
Thomas Andrew Knight (1759–1838), FRS, of Elton Hall in the parish of Elton in Herefordshire (4 miles south-west of Ludlow) and later of Downton Castle (3 miles north-west of Elton), was a British horticulturalist and botanist. He served a ...
for membership. The proposal was accepted, despite Knight's ongoing feud with Forsyth over a plaster for healing tree wounds which Forsyth was developing. Knight was president of the society from 1811 to 1838, and developed the society's aims and objectives to include a programme of practical research into fruit-breeding.
Membership
In 2009, more than 363,000 people were members of the society, and the number increased to more than 414,000 in 2013[ and to 525,105 by 2019.] Membership and fellowship of the society were previously decided by election, but are now by financial contribution. Fellows are supporters "contributing a suggested £5,000 per annum" (as of 2022).
Members and Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society are entitled to use the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...
MRHS and FRHS, respectively.
Gardens
The Royal Horticultural Society's five major gardens in England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
are: Wisley Garden
RHS Garden Wisley is a garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley, Surrey, south of London. It is one of five gardens run by the society, the others being Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, and Bridgewater (which opened on 18 M ...
, near Wisley
__NOTOC__
Wisley is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England between Cobham and Woking, in the Borough of Guildford. It is the home of the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden. The River Wey runs through the village and Ockham and ...
in Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
; Rosemoor Garden
RHS Garden Rosemoor is a public display garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in north Devon, England.
Rosemoor is about south of Great Torrington on the A3124 road to Exeter. It is surrounded by over of woodland with the River Torri ...
in Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
; Hyde Hall
Hyde Hall is a US neoclassical country mansion designed by architect Philip Hooker for George Clarke (1768–1835), a wealthy landowner. The house was constructed between 1817 and 1834, and designed with English and American architectural featu ...
in Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
; Harlow Carr
Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upper ...
in Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
and RHS Garden, Bridgewater in Worsley
Worsley () is a village in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, which in 2014 had a population of 10,090. It lies along Worsley Brook, west of Manchester.
Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county ...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...
.
The society's first garden was in Kensington, from 1818 to 1822. In 1820 the society leased some of Hugh Ronalds
Hugh Ronalds (4 March 1760 – 18 November 1833) was an esteemed nurseryman and horticulturalist in Brentford, who published ''Pyrus Malus Brentfordiensis: or, a Concise Description of Selected Apples'' (1831). His plants were some of the first ...
' nursery ground at Little Ealing to set up an experimental garden, but the next year part of the Duke of Devonshire's estate at Chiswick was obtained. In 1823 it employed Joseph Paxton there. From 1827 the society held fêtes at the Chiswick garden, and from 1833, shows with competitive classes for flowers and vegetables. In 1861 the RHS (as it had now become) developed a new garden at South Kensington
South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
on land leased from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 is an institution founded in 1850 to administer the international exhibition of 1851, officially called the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations. The Great Exhibition was held ...
(the Science Museum
A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in ...
, Imperial College and the Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...
now occupy the site), but it was closed in 1882. The Chiswick garden was maintained until 1903–1904, by which time Sir Thomas Hanbury had bought the garden at Wisley and presented it to the RHS.
RHS Garden Wisley is thus the society's oldest garden. Rosemoor came next, presented by Lady Anne Berry
Lady Anne Sophia Berry (née Walpole, 11 December 1919 – 18 September 2019) was an English-New Zealand horticulturist who founded Rosemoor Garden. She offered the garden to the Royal Horticultural Society in 1988. In 1990 she married Bob Ber ...
in 1988. Hyde Hall was given to the RHS in 1993 by its owners Dick and Helen Robinson. Dick Robinson was also the owner of the Harry Smith Collection which was based at Hyde Hall. The most recent addition is Harlow Carr, acquired by the merger of the Northern Horticultural Society with the RHS in 2001. It had been the Northern Horticultural Society's trial ground and display garden since they bought it in 1949. In 2013, more than 1.63 million people visited the four gardens.
In 2015, the RHS announced plans for a fifth garden at Worsley New Hall, Greater Manchester, under the name RHS Garden Bridgewater
RHS Garden Bridgewater is the Royal Horticultural Society's fifth public display garden. It is located in the village of Worsley in Salford, Greater Manchester, England.
Gardens
Bridgewater Gardens has been created in of the former Worsley Ne ...
. The garden opened in May 2021.
Shows
The RHS is well known for its annual flower shows which take place across the UK. The most famous of these shows is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, visited by people from across world. This is followed by the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
The Hampton Court Garden Festival (formerly The Hampton Court Flower Show) is an annual British flower show, held in early July. The show is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond u ...
(which the RHS took over in 1993) and RHS Tatton Park Flower Show
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park held at Tatton Park, near Knutsford, Cheshire, first began in 1999 by the Royal Horticultural Society. The show houses the RHS National Flower Bed Competition, Young Designer of the Year Award and a wide range of ins ...
in Cheshire (since 1999).
The most recent addition to the RHS shows line-up is the RHS Show Cardiff, held at Cardiff Castle since 2005. The society is also closely involved with the spring and autumn shows at Malvern, Worcestershire, and with BBC Gardeners' World Live held annually at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway sta ...
.
Libraries
The RHS is custodian of the Lindley Library, housed within its headquarters at 80 Vincent Square
Vincent Square is a grass-covered square in Westminster, London, England, covering 13 acres, lined with mature trees including London Planes. In among a network of backstreets, it chiefly provides playing fields for Westminster School, who own ...
, London, and in branches at each of its four gardens. The library is based upon the book collection of John Lindley.
The RHS Herbarium has its own image library (collection) consisting of more than 3,300 original watercolours, approximately 30,000 colour slides and a rapidly increasing number of digital images. Although most of the images have been supplied by photographers commissioned by the RHS, the archive includes a substantial number of slides from the Harry Smith Collection and Plant Heritage National Plant Collection holders.
The libraries in each of the gardens are open to all visitors. RHS members can borrow books from the Lindley London, as well as the libraries at Wisley Garden
RHS Garden Wisley is a garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley, Surrey, south of London. It is one of five gardens run by the society, the others being Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, and Bridgewater (which opened on 18 M ...
and Harlow Carr Garden
RHS Garden Harlow Carr is one of five public gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society. It is located on the western edge of Harrogate in the English county of North Yorkshire.
The RHS acquired Harlow Carr through its merger with the Nort ...
.
Britain in Bloom
In 2002, the RHS took over the administration of the Britain in Bloom
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
competition from the Tidy Britain Group (formerly and subsequently Keep Britain Tidy
Keep Britain Tidy is a UK-based independent environmental charity. The organisation campaigns to reduce litter, improve local places and prevent waste. It has offices in Wigan and London.
History
Keep Britain Tidy was originally set up by a conf ...
). In 2010, The society launched 'It's your neighbourhood', a campaign to encourage people to get involved in horticulture for the benefit of their community. In 2014, the 'Britain in Bloom' celebrates its 50th anniversary.[
]
Education and training
The RHS runs formal courses for professional and amateur gardeners and horticulturalists and also validates qualifications gained elsewhere (e.g. at Kew Botanic Gardens).
The RHS Level 1 Award in Practical Horticulture aims to develop essential horticultural skills and to provide a foundation for further RHS practical qualifications at Levels 2 and 3. It is aimed at anyone who has an interest in plants and gardening.
Level 2 qualifications provide a basis for entry into professional horticulture, support career development for existing horticultural workers or can provide a foundation for further learning or training. There are separate theoretical- and practical-based qualifications at this Level and the RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles and Practices of Horticulture combines the theoretical- and practical-based qualifications.
Level 3 qualifications allow specialisation in the candidate's area of interest. They can offer proficiency for those looking for employment in horticulture, they can support further career and professional development for those already working in the field, or they can provide a basis for continued learning or training. As for Level 2, there are theoretical- and practical-based qualifications at Level 3 and a Diploma that combines both.
The Master of Horticulture (RHS) Award is the society's most prestigious professional horticultural qualification. It is of degree level and it is intended for horticultural professionals. The course allows for flexible study over a period of three years or more.
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening provides online inspiration, resources and advice to its members. With the help of teachers, volunteers and other school-gardening champions, they support millions of students in the UK, giving them the opportunity to grow plants, food and develop life skills.
Medals and awards
People
The society honours certain British persons who are deemed by its council to be deserving of special recognition in the field of horticulture with the Victoria Medal of Honour
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 per ...
, established in 1897. There are only 63 holders of this medal at any time, one for every year of the reign of Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
. This medal is thus not awarded every year. Other awards bestowed by the society include the Associate of Honour (established in 1930) where the number does not exceed 100 at any time (unless they also hold the Victoria Medal of Honour).[''The Garden'', August 2009, page 512 (Royal Horticultural Society)] As of 2022 there were also the Harlow Carr Medal (for significant contribution to horticulture in the north of England), Reginald Cory Memorial Cup (for introducing new hybrid plants developed from existing garden plants), Community Award (for long-term contribution to community gardening) and the Roy Lancaster Award (for exceptional contribution by those under 35 years old). Medals issued by the society earlier in its history have included the Banksian, Knightian and Lindley medals, named after early officers of the society, as well as Honorary Fellowships.
The Veitch Memorial Medal
The Veitch Memorial Medal is an international prize issued annually by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Goal
The prize is awarded to "persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement o ...
, named after James Veitch, is awarded annually to persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture.
The society awards Gold, Silver-gilt, Silver and Bronze medals to exhibitors at its Flower Shows.
Plants
The Award of Garden Merit, or AGM, is the principal award made to garden plants by the society after a period of assessment by the appropriate committees of the society. Awards are made annually after plant trials.
Older books may contain references to the following awards, which were based mainly on flower or fruit quality (but which are not referred to in current (2014) RHS websites and reports):
: PC: Preliminary Certificate
: HC: Highly Commended
: AM: Award of Merit The Award of Merit, or AM, is a mark of quality awarded to plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The award was instituted in 1888, and given on the recommendation of Plant Committees to plants deemed "of great merit for exhibitio ...
(not the same as the AGM)
: FCC: First Class Certificate (once a very prestigious award)
Publications
Journals
The society published its proceedings as the ''Transactions of the Horticultural Society of London'' from 1807 to 1848. The society has also published a journal since 1846. Initially known as the ''Journal of the Horticultural Society of London'' (1846–1855), then ''Proceedings of the Horticultural Society of London'' (1859–1860) and ''Proceedings of the Royal Horticultural Society'' (1861–1869). This was continued as ''Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society'' (1866–1975).
Since 1975 it has been entitled '' The Garden'' as a monthly publication. The RHS also publishes both '' The Plant Review'' and ''The Orchid Review
''The Orchid Review'', published quarterly by the Royal Horticultural Society, is a magazine 'dedicated to the celebration and deeper understanding of orchids'. It is the world's oldest existing periodical devoted to orchids and each issue featu ...
'' four times a year, and ''Hanburyana'', an annual publication dedicated to horticultural taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
since 2006.
Registers and encyclopedias
Since the establishment of International Registration Authorities for plants in 1955 the RHS has acted as Registrar for certain groups of cultivated plants. It is now Registrar for nine categories – conifers, clematis
''Clematis'' is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners, beginning with ''Clematis'' × ''jackmanii'', a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars ...
, daffodil
''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as ''Sternbergia'', ''Ism ...
s, dahlia
Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...
s, delphinium
''Delphinium'' is a genus of about 300 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. The genus was erected by Carl Linn ...
s, dianthus
''Dianthus'' () is a genus of about 340 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in north Africa and in southern Africa, and one species (''D. repens'') in arctic North A ...
, lilies
''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
, orchids
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
and rhododendrons. It publishe
The International Orchid Register
the central listing of orchid hybrids. It published '' Encyclopedia of Conifers'' in 2012.
Books
The RHS publishes many horticulture and gardening books, including:
*
*
Presidents
;Horticultural Society of London (1804–1861)
*1811–1838 : Thomas Andrew Knight
Thomas Andrew Knight (1759–1838), FRS, of Elton Hall in the parish of Elton in Herefordshire (4 miles south-west of Ludlow) and later of Downton Castle (3 miles north-west of Elton), was a British horticulturalist and botanist. He served a ...
(1st President)
*1838–1858 : William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, (21 May 1790 K. D. Reynolds, ‘Cavendish, William George Spencer, sixth duke of Devonshire (1790–1858)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; ...
*1858–1861 : Albert, Prince Consort
;Royal Horticultural Society (1861-)
*1862–1883 : Duke of Buccleuch
Duke of Buccleuch (pronounced ), formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created twice on 20 April 1663, first for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and second suo jure for his wife Anne Scott, 4th Cou ...
*1884–1885 : Sir Benjamin Thomas Brandreth-Gibbs
Sir Benjamin Thomas Brandreth-Gibbs (8 January 1821 – 2 June 1885) was an agriculturalist and horticulturalist who was knighted for his services to both by Queen Victoria in 1878.
Early life
Brandreth-Gibbs was born at Brompton Hall in London ...
*1885–1913 : Sir Trevor Lawrence
William Trevor Lawrence (born October 6, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). Considered among the highest-touted college football prospects, he won the 2019 National C ...
*1913–1919 : Francis Grenfell, 1st Baron Grenfell
Field Marshal Francis Wallace Grenfell, 1st Baron Grenfell, (29 April 1841 – 27 January 1925) was a British Army officer. After serving as aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, South Africa, he fought in the 9th Xhosa War, the Anglo-Zul ...
*1919–1928 : Amelius Lockwood, 1st Baron Lambourne
*1928–1931 : Gerald Loder, 1st Baron Wakehurst
Gerald Walter Erskine Loder, 1st Baron Wakehurst, JP DL LLB (25 October 1861 – 30 April 1936) was a British barrister, businessman and Conservative politician. He is best remembered for developing the gardens at Wakehurst Place, Sussex.
Ba ...
(11th President)
*1931–1953 : Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway
Henry Duncan McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, (16 April 1879 – 23 May 1953) was a British politician, horticulturalist and industrialist. He was the son of Charles McLaren, 1st Baron Aberconway and Laura Pochin.
Education
Born in Richmond u ...
*1953–1961 : Sir David Bowes-Lyon
Sir David Bowes-Lyon KCVO (2 May 1902 – 13 September 1961) was the sixth son and last child of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck, as well as their tenth and youngest child. His el ...
*1961–1984 : Charles McLaren, 3rd Baron Aberconway
Charles Melville McLaren, 3rd Baron Aberconway, (16 April 1913 – 4 February 2003) was a British industrialist and horticulturalist. He was the son of Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, and Christabel Macnaghten.
Education
He was educated at ...
*1984–1994 : Robin A.E. Herbert
*1994–2001 : Sir Simon Hornby Sir Simon Michael Hornby (29 December 1934 – 17 July 2010) was a British businessman. He was chairman of WHSmith, the British retail chain, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Design Council. He founded the National Literacy Trust.
Early l ...
*2001–2006 : Sir Richard Carew-Pole, Bt
*2006–2008 : Peter N. Buckley
*2009–2010 : Giles Coode-Adams
*2010–2013 : Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks (born Elizabeth Irene Mitchell; February 10, 1974) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for playing Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the ''Pitch Perf ...
*2013–2020 : Sir Nicholas Bacon, Bt[
*2020–present : Keith Weed]
See also
* Arlow Stout Arlow Burdette Stout (March 10, 1876 – October 12, 1957) was an American botanist and the pioneer breeder of the modern hybrid daylily.
Stout was born in Jackson Center, Ohio on March 10, 1876 and moved to Albion, Wisconsin as a child. He wor ...
, a pioneer in the hybridization of daylilies, honorary life fellow of RHS
* Lindley Hall, exhibition hall owned by the RHS and located next to their head office in London
* Robert Allen Rolfe
Robert Allen Rolfe (1855, Wilford, Nottinghamshire – 1921, Richmond, Surrey) was an English botanist specialising in the study of orchids. For a time he worked in the gardens at Welbeck Abbey. He entered Kew in 1879 and became second assistant. ...
, the founder of the magazine ''The Orchid Review''
References
Bibliography
* Elliott, Brent (2004). ''The Royal Horticultural Society: A History 1804–2004.'' Phillimore.
*
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Charities based in London
Gardening in the United Kingdom
Horticultural organisations based in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in the City of Westminster
Organizations established in 1804
1804 establishments in the United Kingdom