Christine Walkden presents Awards to Students
Horticultural broadcaster, Christine Walkden, recently presented awards to Writtle College students at the College's Further Education Presentation Day.
The ceremony, which takes place each year, marks the success of students attending full-time education courses at the College including equine, animal care, floristry, agriculture and countryside, design, sport, horticulture and service engineering. The ceremony featured a number of award categories and honoured students in many different areas including dedication and practical skills.
Special Awards were presented to students who showed particular talent in their area of study. Many of these awards were sponsored by local companies including Oak View Landscapes who sponsored the Most Improved Student in Horticulture Award and Hussey and Greaves who sponsored three awards presented to Art and Design students.
Christine Walkden has been a horticulturist since the age of ten when she first obtained an allotment and started growing vegetables and flowers, which she sold to her school teachers and local residents. She is now a well-known broadcaster, lecturer, writer, photographer and all-round garden enthusiast. Christine's life and passion for plants is shown in her own popular BBC TV series 'Christine's Garden'. She has recently written a book to go with the second series of the programme called 'A Year in Christine's Garden - The secret Diary of a Garden Lover'.
Christine also broadcasts on Local and National Radio and is a past winner of the Garden Writers' Guild Radio Broadcasting Award. She has written 'The Houseplant Almanac' and many articles for specialist societies such as the Alpine Garden Society and the Hardy Plant Society. She is currently writing a weekly article for 'Amateur Gardening' magazine.
Writtle College's Head of Further Education, Steve Warr, said: "We were delighted that Christine was able to attend this year's Presentation Day. Christine continues to enthuse countless gardeners throughout the country and the world with her undying passion for her subject. We were privileged at Writtle that she is could be present to help us recognise our students' achievements this year."
Photo: Christine Walkden with National Diploma and National Certificate Horticulture Students, including Tomoko Honda (right of Christine) who received the Most Improved Student in Horticulture Award sponsored by Oak View Landscapes.