UK: HTA Pearson Memorial Medal awarded to Colin Squire at HTA Garden Futures
In presenting the award HTA Chief Executive Carol Paris comments, “I am delighted to present the Pearson Memorial Medal to Colin for his outstanding contribution to the horticulture industry – it is well and truly deserved. A much respected figure, his boundless enthusiasm, forward thinking and high business standards are an example to us all.”
Colin is celebrating his 60th year with the company that was founded by his father DJ Squire. After training in architecture and landscape design, Colin designed many gardens in the Twickenham area in the 1950s and 1960s. Colin is a fellow of the Institute of Horticulture, a member of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and founding member of the Garden Centre Association. His interest in garden design continues and he always designs the Squire’s exhibit at the Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.
Colin has witnessed many changes within his time in the industry and has often been at the forefront of bringing new developments to the UK. For instance, in the 1950’s at a time when plants were grown in open fields and couldn’t be lifted until autumn, Colin introduced container grown plants into Squire’s. During the 1970’s the Twickenham site was one of the very first centres in the UK to introduce the concept of garden centre coffee shops.
The Pearson Memorial Medal for outstanding service to the garden industry and has been awarded by the HTA on an annual basis since it was instigated in 1930 in memory of the HTA's first General Secretary, Charles Pearson.
Garden Futures 2015, sponsored by Hozelock and Scotts Miracle-Gro was held on 30 September at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire.
For more information
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