Prof Buczacki was for many years a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time and is a prominent contributor  to magazines and newspapers. He has written more than 50 books.

His expertise ranges from gardening and natural history to plant pathology (on which his career was founded) and garden design, giving him “an unrivalled grasp of what British gardeners need and want from their gardens”.

The Guild conferred the Garden Writer of the Year award on Alys Fowler for her Guardian columns, while Gardeners’ World magazine was voted the Garden Publication of the Year.

The other awards, all presented by Matthew Wilson, were:

Reference Book of the Year: RHS Encyclopedia of Gardening, edited by Christopher Brickell.

Practical Book of the Year: RHS Grow Your Own Crops in Pots by Kay Maguire.

Inspirational Book of the Year: The New English Garden by Tim Richardson.

News Story of the Year: Ian Hodgson.

Journalist of the Year: Matthew Wilson (left, with his award).

Practical Journalist of the Year: Guy Barter.

Trade Journalist of the Year: Sarah Cosgrove.

Photographer of the Year: Jason Ingram.

Features Photographer of the Year: Marianne Majerus.

Book Photographer of the Year: Mark Diacono.

TV Broadcast of the Year: Monty Don’s French Gardens: The Gourmet Garden.

Radio Broadcast of the Year: The Gardeners’ Corner.

Environmental Award: Kate Bradbury.

The Alan Titchmarsh New Talent award: Nick Turrell.

Blog of the Year: crocus.co.uk plantsmans blog

Website of the Year: www.crocus.co.uk

New Media award: James Alexander-Sinclair & Tiffany Daneff.

This year’s award sponsors were: Briggs & Stratton, Brother, Garden World Images, Hartley Botanic, Horticultural Trades Association, redheadPR, Scotts Miracle-Gro, STIHL, Thompson & Morgan and Westland Horticulture.