The only requirement for a Merlin Trust bursary award holder is that once they have completed their project, they must submit a report describing how they used the funding. These reports have created an amazing archive that describes a range of projects that have taken place around the world within the field of practical horticulture over the last 36 years.

Every year, the Merlin Trust trustees read all the reports submitted that year and select a prize winner in two award categories: the Valerie Finnis Prize for the report demonstrating photographic excellence and the Christopher Brickell Prize for best overall report. In recent years, the trustees have created other categories to recognise the quality of the reports we receive: such is the quality of the reports, the trustees have found it increasingly difficult to select winners!

The Merlin Trust funds young horticulturists to help them explore the horticultural world through travel to visit and work in gardens around the world, to see plants growing in the wild and to undertake work experience or specific training to enhance their careers. The resulting report provides a permanent record of what they undertook, helps to inspire or inform others (so forms an excellent resource!) and also demonstrates transferable skills such as report writing to future employers.

Congratulations to Ella Anderson-King, winner of the Christopher Brickell Prize for best overall report, and Scott Galloway, winner of the Valerie Finnis Prize for best use of photography in a report.

Ella, a gardener at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, visited Japan in autumn 2025 as part of a group visit. Her report provided an overview of some of the gardens the team visited, describing the gardens in such detail that the reader could almost have been a part of the team! The whole team approach to the reports also demonstrated an excellent approach to how different reports can be created from the same visit.

Scott, a horticulturist, biodiversity policymaker and researcher of Bergenia, travelled to Arunachal Pradesh, India to study a range of temperate and alpine plants and improve his knowledge of Eastern Himalaya flora, including Bergenia. The judges were very impressed by Scott’s use of images in the resulting report, supporting the narrative of the report as well as highlighting the botanical interest of the region.

While all reports received by the Merlin Trust are well worth reading and demonstrate the extensive knowledge and enthusiasm of British and Irish horticulturists, Ella’s and Scott’s are truly inspirational.

Image: Prize winners Ella Anderson-King (left) and Scott Galloway (right)

Congratulations to the Merlins receiving ‘Highly Commended’ certificates for their Travel Bursary reports: Nadya Pearson (who travelled with Ella), Siah Meadows, Lulu Harding and Edward Charlton whose projects took place in Japan, Hawaii, Denmark/Sweden and Norway/Sweden respectively. Sarah Powell, who received the Schachen Alpine Garden Internship Award, was also ‘Highly Commended’.

For the first time, awards have also been made for WRAG Scheme Bursary reports. These have previously been excluded from consideration as the report format is much simpler than the more detailed international award scheme bursaries, but the trustees felt that recognition was needed for outstanding reports. Sarah Byham is the inaugural winner of the WRAG Scheme Bursary Award – a tour of Cambridge University Botanic Garden – with Lesley Sealey being recognised as a ‘Highly Commended’ WRAGS report.

All Merlin reports can be seen at the Merlin Trust website: look out for those by the prize winners and ‘Highly Commended’ category. Perhaps it will inspire you to explore the many horticultural treasures that are out there!

To find out more about Merlin Trust reports, please visit our website: https://merlin-trust.org.uk/projects/reports/ and see photos from the winners at the gallery: https://merlin-trust.org.uk/gallery/.