CIH Eastern Branch YHOY Regional Organiser Melanie Taylorhas been honoured with two 2025 GardenComm Silver Laurel Medals of Achievement for her garden writing, presented by GardenComm: Garden Communicators International.
This international award recognises individuals and companies who achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications. The 2025 competition drew more than 125 entries from around the globe across 40 categories.
Melanie earned the Silver Laurel Medals of Achievement for her monthly gardening column for Velvet Magazine and a guest blog on Garden and Outdoor Living Trends 2025 written for Glee 24, the garden trade show.
Winners were announced at the 2025 Annual Honors & Awards event held during Cultivate25, the largest green industry trade show in North America. The full list of winners is available on the GardenComm website. For more information about this award, contact Chris Sabbarese via email at info@gardencomm.org
“These awards recognise the best of the best — communicators who inspire, inform, and elevate the gardening world through outstanding storytelling, imagery, and innovation,” says C.L. Fornari, president of GardenComm.
Speaking about her wins, garden designer Melanie said, “I swapped microchips for micro-organisms when I left my previous career in tech and retrained in garden design and took my RHS Level 2 qualifications. As a career changer I’m delighted that my writing has been recognised internationally. It is a huge privilege to be in the company of such distinguished garden writers and communicators from around the world. Thank you to everyone at GardenComm for creating such a dynamic and supportive community and thanks too to my colleagues on the CIH Eastern Branch committee for their ongoing support and encouragement as I take my next steps in my horticultural career.”
Melanie was previously a finalist in the Alan Titchmarsh New Talent of the Year Award at the 2024 Garden Media Guild Awards and designed a show garden at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show in 2023. Examples of her writing and design work are available on her website www.hazelwoodplantscapes.co.uk