The Veitch Memorial Medal is an international prize issued annually by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
The prize is awarded to "persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture".
The prize was first planned in 1870, in memorial of James Veitch of Chelsea. At first, the prize was issued by the Veitch Memorial Trust and awarded at local horticultural shows, but from 1885 the Medals were awarded at the Orchid Conference. Since 1922, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), having taven over the Trust, has awarded the Medal. By 2010 over 500 medals had been presented.
2016 : Sarah Carey, Diana Grenfell, Ernst van Jaarsveld (of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden), Marco Polo Stufano and Dr Ken Thompson.
2015 : Gillian Barlow, Robert Berry, Neil Bragg, Fergus Garrett, Charles Nelson, Penny Snell and John Pilbeam
2014 : Mark Chase, Martin Gardner, Antonio de Almeida Monteiro, Philip Baulk and Gianfranco Giustina (Italy)
2013
Peter Del Tredici, Peter Furniss, Sue Minter, Alec Pridgeon and Margaret Owen
Dr Keith Hammett, New Zealand whose horticultural interests include Sweet Peas, Dahlias and Clivias
2012 : Susyn Andrews (U.K.), John Elliott (Singapore), Chris Lane (U.K.), Hugh McAllister (U.K.), Beverley McConnell
2011 : Graham Ross (Australia), Christopher Bailes (U.K.), Rosemary Alexander (U.K.), Keshab Pradhan (Sikkim, India)
2010 : Dr. Stefan T. Buczacki, Bob Brown, Arabella Lennox-Boyd, Haruhiko Nagata, J. Owen
2009
David Wheeler (founder and editor of Hortus: A Gardening Journal)
Dr Joan Morgan (writer and historian)
Jozef van Assche (Secretary ISHS)
2008
Dr James Beard for his lifelong contribution to the development and application of scientific principles to turfgrass culture. Dr Beard founded the International Sports Turf Institute and has served the international horticultural community for the past 50 years through research, teaching and leadership.
John Nelson for his outstanding practical work over many years in the restoration of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, one of Cornwall's best-known tourist attractions.
2007 : Rex Dibley, Daniel John Hinkley (born 1953), Lord Charles Howick (For the 2007 list of winners, please see 2007 Manual)
2006 : Phillip Cribb, Otto Eisenhut, Aljos Farjon, A. Langton, Norman Looney
2005 :
Anne-Marie Evans (A leading figure in botanical illustration, her worldwide influence has led a resurgence of interest in and greater understanding of the depiction of plants)
W.H. Frederick, M. Solomon, Sir Richard Storey (1937-), Timothy Whiteley
2003 : Martin John Bukovac, R. Bisgrove, J. Dowle, J. Moorby, Peter Raven (USA), S. Sherwood, Vicompte Philippe de Spoelberch (Belgian)
2002 : Piet Oudolf (born 1944) (Dutch), Stella Ross-Craig (1906–2006), B. Machin, J. Massey, G. Ogden, M. Rickard, Lady Emma Tennant, R. Williams
2001 : Francis Higginson Cabot (1925–2011) (US/Canadian), Brian Duncan, Silviero Sansavini (Italy), P. Thoday
1883 : John Roberts (1830-1892) (Head Gardener, Charleville Castle, Co. Offaly, Ireland).
1887 : A. Ives (Gardener to E.C.Jukes)
1892 : John Heal (c. 1841 – 1925)
1894 : Victor Lemoine fr:Victor Lemoine (France) (1823–1911), George Nicholson (1847–1908)
1896 : Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927) (US)
1897 : Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858–1954) (US)
1899 : Thomas Francis Rivers (1831–1899)
1901 : Richard Irwin Lynch (1850–1924) Curator of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Thomas Meehan (1826-1901) (1826–1901) (US)
1906 : Ernest Henry Wilson (1876–1930)
1907 : John Gilbert Baker (1834–1920)
1921 : Robert Lloyd Praeger (1865-1953) (Ireland)
1922 : William Jackson Bean (1863–1947)
1923 : Richard Irwin Lynch (1850–1924), Curator of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden (second award)
1924 : William Rickatson Dykes (1877-1925)
1925 : David Prain (1857–1944)
1926 : George Herbert Engleheart (1851-1936)
1927 : George Forrest (1873–1932)
1928 : Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932)
1929 : Alfred Barton Rendle (1865–1938)
1930 : William Wright Smith (1875–1956)
1931 : Otto Stapf (1857–1933)
1932 : Leonard Cockayne (1855–1934)
1934 : Francis Kingdon-Ward (1885–1958)
1935 : Edward James Salisbury (1886–1978) (of Radlett)
1936 : Robert L Harrow - 1936 : Arthur William Hill (1875–1941)
1937 : John Hutchinson (1884–1972), George Russell (1857-1951)
1938 : Morley Benjamin Crane (1890–1983)
1939 : Isabella Preston (1881–1965)
1941 : Eleanor Maltby
1945 : William Henry Judd (1888-1946) (of Arnold Arboretum)
1950 : Wilfrid Jasper Walter Blunt (1901–1987)
1953 : William Bertram Turrill (1890–1961) (of Kew), Nellie Roberts
1954 : Dorothy Renton (of Branklyn), Mary Knox-Finlay (of Keillour Castle)
1955 : Vita Sackville-West (1892-1962)
1956 : Albert Burkwood (1890-1978)
1957 : Charles Henry Curtis (1870-1958)
1961 : T. Johnson
1962 : Frank Reinelt
1963 : Percy Cane (1881 - 1976)
1964 : Frances Perry (1907–1993), William Thomas Stearn (1911–2001)
1965 : William Douglas Cook (New Zealand) (1884–1967), A. Nisbet (Silver medal)
1966 : Graham Stuart Thomas (1909–2003), Eben Gowrie Waterhouse (1881–1977), John Scott Lennox Gilmour (of Cambridge University Botanic Garden), Leonard Broadbent (1916-2002)
1967 : Alex J Burnett, Elizabeth Hess (Principal of Studley College)
1968 : John Stuart Yeates (New Zealand) (1900–1986)
1969 : Sir Thomas Neame (1885–1973), Donald Wyman(1904-1993)
1970 : Mary Pope (Flower arranger)
1971 : B.L.Burtt (1913-2008), Frances Perry, Helen Richardson (Daffodil breeder), W. Bishop, T. Durrant, A. Westall (silver medal)
1972 : Xenia Field (1894–1998), Roy Lancaster (born 1938), Mrs T. Rochford, E. Smith (silver medal)
1973 : Countess of Haddington
1974 : John Bergmans (Netherlands) (1892–1980), R. Fiske
1975 : J. Fraser, Thomas Robert Noel Lothian (1915-2004)
1976 : Alice Margaret Coats (1905–1978), Margaret Stones (silver medal)
1977 : Iris Bannochie (1914–1988), A. Gray
1978 : Gavin Brown (?-?) Frederick Alkmund Roach (1909-2004), B. Fry
1979 : Fred Whitsey (1919–2009), Gordon Rowley, J.W. Goodwin (of Pukeiti Gardens), S. Coe
1980 : A. Healey, F. Keenan, S. Orr (silver medal), F. Potter
1981 : David Robinson (1928–2004), F. Cleary
1982 : P. Teunissen
1983 : P.B.J. Joubert (South Africa)
1984 : nl:James Richard Pennington van Hoey Smith (1921 - 2010), Mary Grierson (1912–2012), R. Beaumont, J. van Hoey Smith
1985 : Mavis Batey (1921–2013), K. Andrew, N. Luitse, C. Mitchelmore, Margaret Stones
1986 : Ambrose Congreve (1907–2011), R. Sagarik
1987 : Rachel Lambert Mellon (1910-1914), K. Beckett, Victor Fowler, R. Mellon
1988 : E. Napier, L. Pemberton, T. Wright
1989 : John Alfred Codrington (1898–1991), Helen Robinson (1919-2004), J. Glazebrook, E. Scholtz, A. Stephenson
1990 : Chen Hang (born c. 1931), M. Arai
1991 : John L. Creech (1920–2009), Metcalf
1992 : P. Fustier, D. G. Hessayon (born 1928), Olive Hilliard, Joy Larkcom, J. Ravenscroft
1993 : Brent Elliot, Sir Peter Smithers, Brenda Hyatt, H. Suzuki
1994 : David C.H. Austin, R. Birchall, A. Kenrick, Dick van Gelderen, T. Venison, Wang Dajun
1995 : Gilly Drummond, Mikinori Ogisu, A. Paterson, Jane Pepper (1945-), B. Self
1996 : Gloria D. Barretto (1916-), B. Howard, H. Noblett, C. Riley, S. Spongberg, D. Steed, Michael Upward (-2015), R. Waite
1997 : Ray Bilton (1937-2012), B. Briggs, Brian Rittershausen, Kiat Tan
1998 : Bruce Macdonald (Missouri Botanical Garden), R. Aylett, J. Bleasdale, P. Catt, K. Cockshull, R. Elliot, E. Hetherington, M. Rix
1999 : Sonja Bernadotte (1944–2008), Helen Dillon (1938-), Christopher Grey-Wilson, P. Hemsley, H. Johnson, J. McColl, J. Quinlan, Brian and Maurice Woodfield
2000 : William Flemer, F. Last, A. Pavord, Daphne Vince-Prue
Date unknown : Alfred Daniel Hall (1864–1942)
Date unknown : Thomas Wallace (1891–1965)
Date unknown : Werner Rauh (1913–2000)
Date unknown : Harold Hillier (1905–1985)
Date unknown : Alan Bloom (1906-2005)
Date unknown : George Hermon Slade AM (1910-2002) (Australian orchid collector)
