Torrington's prize gardener

EMMA Van Huysse from Torrington has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society s Anne Menhinick Memorial Prize in recognition of her scholarly excellence in horticultural studies. The prize is given to the highest scoring candidate aged 30 or under in

EMMA Van Huysse from Torrington has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Anne Menhinick Memorial Prize in recognition of her scholarly excellence in horticultural studies.

The prize is given to the highest scoring candidate aged 30 or under in the RHS Level 2 Certificate in horticulture.

Emma originally trained in music and later became a primary school teacher. She now works for RHS Garden Rosemoor at Torrington in their plant centre and shop.

Inspired by her love of gardening, Emma is also working towards another qualification offered by the Eden Project.

Anne Menhinick trained in horticulture at Waterperry Horticultural School in Oxford and stayed on to become the college's yhead of the fruit department. There she played an instrumental role in the production and display of strawberries, including exhibitions at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The prize was established in her memory in 1998 by her husband Oliver Menhinick.

The RHS offers a range of qualifications designed to inspire keen gardeners into careers in horticulture. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk/learning/education/exams