The Young Horticulturist of the Year competition 2026

Sarah Simpson was crowned the Young Horticulturist of the Year 2025, pictured receiving the award from David Richardson, president of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture

The competition is free to enter and open to anyone working or studying in horticulture, anywhere in the UK or Ireland, who will be below the age of 30 on the 31st of July in the year of entering

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Read More: competition The Chartered Institute of Horticulture The Young Horticulturist of the Year

29 January 2026

The Chartered Institute of Horticulture has recently announced that the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition will open for entries on the 1st February 2026.

The Young Horticulturist of the Year competition is a fantastic opportunity to test your knowledge and get the opportunity to meet with fellow horticulturists from all over the UK and Ireland.

The competition is free to enter and open to anyone working or studying in horticulture, anywhere in the UK or Ireland, who will be below the age of 30 on the 31st of July in the year of entering.

The competition is run across 3 stages. The first of these is online, opening the 1st February each year, and running for 4 weeks. After this, 8 in-person regional finals are held across the UK and Ireland, with the winner from each getting an expenses paid trip to the grand final, held at a prestige venue in one of the 8 institute regions.

With a prize fund of £10,000, there are opportunities to win prizes at the regional final, and there are cash and other prizes for every finalist at the grand final.

The overall winner of the competition wins the £2,500 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary to fund horticultural related travel anywhere in the world.

Last year winner was Sarah Simpson, a horticulture technician at the Teagasc, College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Gardens after winning the grand final of the competition at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.

As the winner, Sarah received a £2,500 travel bursary from The Percy Thrower Trust, generously provided by the Shropshire Horticultural Society.

Sarah’s passion for horticulture is focused on sustainable and ecologically conscious landscape design, combing creative design with a love for nature and wildlife.

Read more: Small Talk with Sarah Simpson of Teagasc

© 2026, Growtrade.ie by Patryk Goron

Read More: competition The Chartered Institute of Horticulture The Young Horticulturist of the Year

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