The Mathers Foundation wins prestigious Brickell Award 2024 at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival for outstanding orchid conservation
The annual award – named after Plant Heritage’s founding member and Vice President Chris Brickell – celebrates excellence in cultivated plant conservation and has been awarded to Gill Mathers, David Mathers and Jim Durrant in recognition of their outstanding orchid conservation work; curating three National Collections (Oncidium, Pleione, and Stanhopea & Acineta species and hybrids), with two more planned.
The Mathers Foundation have been awarded for using sustainable growing techniques with minimal chemical use, and for their active laboratory propagation programme of existing and new cultivar seedlings. The judges also commended the Foundation for using the 17,000 plants within their care to support research; including tracking, identification and photographic logging of all their plants and studying improved methods of growing and propagation.