A "huge gap" in the history of The Harold Hillier Award, which honours an Isle of Wight horticulturist each year, has been filled.  

Simon and Debs Goodenough were presented with the award by the chair of the Friends of Ventnor Botanic Garden (VBGFS), Val Pitts, along with the former chair, Sally Peake, and the long time secretary, Rosemary Stewart. 

Simon Goodenough was for 25 years the curator of Ventnor Botanic Garden.

Debs was nursery manager, also looking after the volunteers, sharing skills and enthusiasm and, in particular, establishing the seed collecting and packaging group, which continues to this day.

Debs moved to Osborne as head gardener and later took on the same role for (the then) Prince Charles at Highgrove. 

When Simon took up his role at Ventnor, he instigated the VBGFS, a charitable organisation which raised money for projects within the garden for which the council (then owner of the garden) didn't have the budget.  

The Harold Hillier Award was set up by the family of horticulturalist Sir Harold Hiller to honour somebody for their outstanding contribution to horticulture on the Isle of Wight.

It has been presented almost annually since 1980.

In making the presentation, Val said: "In presenting the award to Simon and Debs, this fills a huge gap in our Harold Hillier Hall of Fame." 

The Goodenoughs are now retired but their legacy lives on. 

Val said: "You created something very special indeed: not just the wonderful and innovative botanic garden, which gained an international reputation, but the huge group of loyal and passionate supporters, The Friends. They raised huge amounts of money for their beloved garden." 

The Friends have raised £334,000 in the past 11 years alone. 

Veteran VBG tour guide Jonyth Hill said: "I will always think of this as Simon's garden, with his insight and passion. It is a privilege to have benefitted from his knowledge over 30 years and to thank both him and Debs for their friendship." 

Toby Beasley, now head gardener at Osborne, thanked Debs for her encouragement in his gardening career. 

Soon after Simon and Debs arrived on the Island, there was a  summer drought, followed by the first of two hurricanes in the winter of 1987.

The botanic garden was devastated, losing much of its content.

Simon took the opportunity to develop a garden very different, with naturalistic planting of flora from their place of origin.

The regional gardens which now exist were the result – Mediterranean, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, America (Simon commissioned the much-loved totem pole). 

Simon went on to be curator of The National Botanic Garden of Wales and estate manager at Folly Farm in Berkshire.

Since retiring to Chillerton the couple now look after the borders on the village green.