The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has awarded Natalie Boynton, from Happy Plants Ltd and co-founder of the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), the 2025 Pearson Memorial Medal for outstanding service to the garden industry.
Over the last decade, Natalie has originated, led, and substantially contributed to numerous industry initiatives that have created a lasting legacy in UK horticulture. She is paving the way for other young women in the sector and has become the fifth woman to receive this prestigious award in the past 20 years.
Natalie Boynton (née Porter) is the Sales Director at Happy Plants Ltd in Formby, on the North West Coast, which is owned and operated by the Porter family. It is a milestone year for the nursery – formerly known as Porters Fuchsias – which was founded by the Porter family forty years ago, in 1985.
Natalie was one of the first UK growers to move away from carbon-pigment-free plant pots and compostable carry trays to the UK market, instead introducing kerbside recyclable packaging made from recycled plastics.
Following this, she was a leading participant in the HTA’s Nursery Working Group, which brought growers and pot manufacturers together to develop the ‘taupe pot’. This new standard plant pot for the industry is carbon-pigment-free and more recyclable than previous black pots.
Natalie regularly contributes to the HTA through participation in committees, working groups, and conferences. Five years ago, she and two colleagues founded the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), a group established to unite under-35s working in horticulture, helping to educate, innovate, and explore ways the industry can attract a younger demographic.
Will Armitage, HTA President, said: “Natalie’s significant contribution to the industry is incredible and should not be underestimated. She has already accomplished a great deal in her career and is a supportive voice that encourages others in the sector to get involved and reach their potential. Winning the Pearson Memorial Medal is a fitting recognition of that, and a remarkable achievement.
“Natalie has been a key inspiration and hands-on contributor to the creation of the YPHA, a group of more than 1,200 young people forging networks, connections, and relationships in our industry. The YPHA is going from strength to strength, and now even has its own training academy. Thanks to her dedication, we are starting to see a new generation of horticulturists and business leaders who, I believe, will secure the future of UK environmental horticulture.
“I hope Natalie’s award for outstanding service to the industry reminds us of the important contributions made by a diverse but often under-represented group of people - women and young people - involved in UK horticulture.”
Natalie Boynton, Pearson Memorial Medal winner, said: “I’m lost for words. It’s amazing. What an incredible privilege.
“Being only the fifth woman to receive this medal in the last 20 years means a lot. I’ve seen so many fantastic people pick up this award over the years, so it’s wonderful even to be considered in the same realm as these people.
“It’s forty years since the family business started in 1985, we had a cake to celebrate the other day, so it’s big news all round. Winning the Pearson Memorial Medal really is the icing on the cake!”
The HTA first awarded the Pearson Memorial Medal for outstanding service to the garden industry in 1930, in memory of the association’s first General Secretary, Charles Pearson. It has been presented annually ever since, and over the past 20 years, four women have been previously awarded the prestigious medal.
For more information about the award and past winners, visit: hta.org.uk/events/pearson-memorial-medal
