The RHS Veitch Memorial Medal winner 2026

We are delighted to announce that the President of the National Sweet Pea Society, Roger Parsons, has been recognised in the 2026 RHS People Awards. The citation reads:

Roger has made an outstanding contribution to sweet peas through establishing a scientific National Collection, breeding new cultivars and promoting Lathyrus to a worldwide audience. His National Collection of Lathyrus species at Bracklesham Bay near Chichester remains a resource of scientific importance, and his collection of sweet pea cultivars is the most comprehensive in the world, comprising around 1,300 cultivars, supported by his encyclopaedic knowledge of the genus, which he shares widely through many gardening publications.

Congratulations on a very well deserved award!