Brickell Award

Lathyrus odoratus 'Senator'

Every year this prestigious award is made to a National Collection holder who has demonstrated excellence in cultivated plant conservation and is presented at a ceremony held at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival.

In 2023 Adrian Young was recognised for his work on Saxifraga.

The judges applauded Adrian’s ongoing research and work with both of his reference collections* of Saxifraga sect. Ligulatae and Saxifraga sect. Porphyrion subsect. Porophyllum. They also recognised Adrian’s wider contribution to horticulture, as both a National Plant Collection Holder since 2012 and the International Cultivar Registration Authorities’ Registrar for Saxifraga since 2010. His published works were also celebrated, including his book ‘The Complete Checklist for Porophyllum Cultivars’ which is considered the definitive work on Porophyllum Saxifraga and is now in its third edition.

Adrian’s two collections, which combined total over 900 different types of the alpine Saxifraga, are kept, maintained, and displayed at Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire. 

Adrian Young, winner of the Brickell Award 2023 says: “Winning the Brickell Award means a lot to me. I have known Chris Brickell for over 30 years and he has been instrumental in helping me with plant nomenclature, so receiving ‘his’ award is very special. Growing and studying Saxifraga for the last 45 years has been a real pleasure. In 1972 Valerie Finnis told me to go into the high mountains and see how the Saxifraga live. Wise words which I still remember today.”

The Brickell Award was established to celebrate our 25th jubilee year in 2003, in recognition of ‘excellence in cultivated plant conservation’ undertaken by Collection Holders.

It is named after renowned plantsman, Chris Brickell, a founding member of Plant Heritage and currently a Vice President of the organisation.

 

Adrian Young with (L to R) Simon toomer, Roy Lancasterm Chris Brickell, and David Haselgrove


Previous recipients

  • 2022 - Margaret and David MacLennan were recognised for their work on Galanthus 
  • 2021 - Roger Hammond for his work on Epimedium
  • 2020 - Malcolm Pharoah for his work on Astilbe
  • 2019 - Roger Parsons for his work on Lathyrus
  • 2018 - Sarah Cook for her work on Benton Irises (Cedric Morris Introductions)
  • 2017 - Dr Michael McIllmurray for his work on Maxillaria species
  • 2016 - Margaret McKendrick for her work on Japanese Anemone and Judy Barker for her work on hardy chrysanthemums
  • 2014 - Chris Lane for his work on Hamamelis
  • 2012 - Dr Simon Charlesworth for his work on Lavandula
  • 2011 - Margaret Easter for her work on Thymus
  • 2010 - Brian Fearn for his work on Lithops
  • 2008 - Dr Evelyn Stevens for her work on Meconopsis
  • 2007 - Ray Stephenson for his work on Sedum
  • 2006 - Beryl Bland for her work with the Ligulatae Group of Saxifraga
  • 2005 - Sylvia Norton for her work on Lathyrus
  • 2004 - Dr John Vanderplank for his work on Passiflora
  • 2003 - Henry Noblett for his work on Astilbe and Dr Henry Oakeley for his work on the orchids Lycaste, Ida and Anguloa

 

No awards were made in 2015, 2013 and 2009.

eg: plant genus, common name, county, collection holder name.