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Forrest Medal Reports
The 'George Forrest Memorial' Medal is named after George Forrest, one of Scotland's foremost plant explorers collectors.
A bronze medal was instituted in the very early days of the club with the agreement of George Forrest's widow.
A single silver medal was struck and gifted to Mrs Forrest to commemorate the institution of the award.
The picture on the right shows a magnificent pan of Pleione 'Tongariro' which was awarded the Forrest medal at the 2019 Perth Show. The proud growers of this plant, Francis and Margaret Higgins from Berridale are also shown holding their Award card.
A Medal and Award Card are given to those producing an "outstanding exhibit" at each show.
The fact that a plant has to be outstanding is emphasised by the fact that an award need not be made at every show if no exhibit is outstanding enough to merit such an award.
The Medal is usually bronze, but an exhibitor is awarded a Silver Forrest Medal on the occasion of their 10th award. By the end of the 2022 show season nine awards of Silver medals have been made. Living recipients include Cyril Lafong (61), Sandy Leven (14), and David Millward (10) who, in 2022, is the latest to achieve this award. Now departed recipients include: Harold Esselmont (43), Jack Crossland (30), Fred Hunt (26), Jack Drake (14), Christina Boyd-Harvey (11) and Eric Watson (10).
In 2019 Cyril Lafong gained the magnificent achievement of winning 50 Forrest Medals, and in honour of this the Club struck a Gold Medal, which was awarded to Cyril at the 2019 Early Bulb Show held in Dunblane.
You can read a report here of the award to Cyril which includes the award of a Dr Patrick Neill Medal for outstanding services to horticulture by the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.
Some shows are run jointly by the Alpine Garden Society and the SRGC, and these are run under the rules of each society in alternate years. It has been agreed that the Alpine Garden Society equivalent medal (a Farrer Medal) is awarded rather than a Forrest Medal in the years when the AGS rules apply. These shows are marked with a " #" in the table below.
We are pleased that we have reports available which highlight the plants which have won the Forrest Medals for most of the Shows in recent years. These have been prepared in the main by Sandy Leven. The club is most grateful for this permanent record of some wonderful plants.
A list of all Forrest medals awarded to plants and their exhibitors at our shows is available for download HERE. This list also includes Farrer medals awarded at our joint shows with the AGS. The list is up to date at the close of the 2023 show season. |
