The Finnis Scott Award
Valerie Finnis VMH (1924-2006)
Horticulturist and photographer
Valerie Finnis worked for 30 years at Waterperry Horticultural School for Women and developed specialist knowledge of alpines. in 1961 she was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Horticultural Society for her photographic work. In 1962 the RHS appointed her to the joint rock garden plant committee where she served for 20 years. In 1990 she established the Merlin Trust in memory of her husband's son, helping young gardeners to travel and explore the natural flora of the world. In 1975 she was awarded the RHS's highest accolade, the Victoria Medal of Honour. Her abounding enthusiasm for plants and gardening will be remembered by all who were fortunate to meet her.
Muscari 'Valerie Finnis'
The Award is flexible and can support, for example, loss of earnings, the cost of backfill whilst the beneficiary is away, accommodation, transport costs and travel insurance. The Award may not be used support the purchase of food or photographic equipment nor may it be used to support the study of plants in the wild.
Examples of where the award may be granted:
- Taking part in a particular task such as pleaching, topiary, bedding
- Travelling to visit a series of sites that present a similarity e.g. vegetable production, events management, conservation planning
- Job shadowing a manager, trainer, volunteer guide, contractor
- Joining a specific project, such as the development of a management plan, installing disability access, tree surveying, managing a wildflower meadow.
In addition to the application form, you may be required to complete further documentation to support the proposal, such as confirmation of loss of earnings or agreement with the host garden.
Application closing date - March 1st each year
The Award is granted annually from the investment income generated by the Finis Scott Fund and is administered by the Professional Gardeners' Guild Trust (registered Charity 1101169) Fundingmay be granted in full or in part, at the discretion of the Trustees.
To download an application form, click here.
To download guidance notes, click here.
If you would like to discuss your ideas in advance of applying, please contact Fiona Dennis, fionadennis@english-heritage.org.uk Tel. 01737 244 664 Mob. 07867 537945
Please return application forms to the Honorary Secretary.
Kenwyn Pearson, 55, Holmesdale Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9JP.
Tel. 01444 232973 Email: trust@pgg.org.uk
Florence Wicker is the first beneficiary of the Finnis Scott Award
Florence Wicker was awarded £450 to visit four herbaria in the UK in 2009
Florence, a trained librarian moved into Horticulture and gained her HND in 2007. Her earlier training in Library and Information Services brought some unexpectedly transferable skills to horticulture:
Working as a gardener in the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Florence developed an interest in the work of herbaria and increasingly recognised the value of plant record keeping. With the help of the Finnis Scott Award Florence was able to develop her understanding of the herbarium and her knowledge of the management of plant collections. Her employer agreed a total of fifteen days for this secondment.
This exciting application consisted of a series of four herbarium visits over a three month period: In April 2009 Florence visited the Sir Harold Hillier Garden in Hampshire for 3 days where Allen Coombes explained the procedures for the management of this Herbarium collection. In June she travelled to Scotland to spend five days in the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. In July she went to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for a week and was introduced to the work of the Herbarium by Dr Rogier Kok. Her journey ended with a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society herbarium at Wisley in Surrey. Here Dr John David, Head of Botany introduced the key objectives of this herbarium and Florence had the opportunity to look at some of the practical aspects of running a herbarium of cultivated species.
