Medwyn Williams MBE FNVS is a Welsh

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...

, 11 times winner of the gold medal at the

Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show,Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural So ...

. Born ''Richard Medwyn Williams'' in the village of Paradwys, the son of a farm worker and his family moved to

Llangristiolus Llangristiolus is a village and Community (Wales), community in the middle of Anglesey, Wales, southwest of Llangefni, and is named after Cristiolus, Saint Cristiolus. The Afon Cefni, River Cefni flows through the village. The village is within ...

when he was a year old. Aged 8, his father helped him grow

radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...

and cress in a one-yard plot. After this he helped his father grow various vegetables for garden shows in the

Isle of Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

, where his father was known for growing long carrots. Williams became a council official, and in his late 20s entered a "six of a kind" novice class at the Anglesey County Show in 1969. He then joined the National Vegetable Society at the Shrewsbury Flower Show, which led to his competing at most of the National Vegetable Society Championships. Invited by the Chief Executive of the Royal Welsh Show to stage a 15 ft exhibit there, Williams and his father won the large gold medal six years in a row. After presenting for

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...

at the Chelsea Flower Show, Williams decided that he wanted to show at Chelsea. Having to prove himself to the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

as being of sufficient quality, he was asked to stage his first RHS exhibit at the

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

Palace Flower Show. Williams and his father won a gold medal on their first attempt, a cut glass vase for the best new competitor, and the Tudor Rose Award which is presented annually to the RHS by the Guild of embroiderers at Hampton Court Palace for the best display at Hampton Court. Asked the following year, 1996, to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show, he grew his exhibits in the research establishment of the

University of Wales, Bangor Bangor University () is a public research university in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It was established by Royal Charter in 1885 as the University College of North Wales (UCNW; ), and in 1893 became one of the founding institutions of the federal ...

at Penyffridd, where he rents an 80 ft x 60 ft heated greenhouse, a totally cold 120 x 70 ft one, and has use of a small cold store to hold some vegetables back. Williams won 10 consecutive annual Gold medals at Chelsea, an accomplishment that had never been done before with vegetables. He won the President’s Award, 9 Gordon Lennox Trophies for the best vegetable of the year, and 2 Lawrence medals for the Best Horticultural display of the year. After retiring from competition in 2005 to concentrate on his developing seed business, Williams has displayed internationally, including in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

in April 2006, and lectured, including in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. After his son and grandson joined the seed business in 2009, Williams displayed at the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show, again winning the President’s Award.

References

External links

Seed sales websiteTips at BBC's Gardening website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Medwyn Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Anglesey Welsh gardeners Members of the Order of the British Empire