Award for nursery industry pioneer

A South Holland woman who has spent her working life in the bulb and flower industry has received a special award.

Sue Lamb received the 2023 Carlo Naef Trophy as a mark of acknowledgement for her work which started when she left school.
When she married Roger, the couple bought 4.5 acres of land in Pinchbeck and started to establish a nursery.
The business expanded and saw the addition of glasshouses, cold stores and packing facilities.
“Throughout the years of production we were always aware of the impact on the environment and tried to address this wherever possible. We were one of the first nurseries to install a biomass boiler running on recycled waste Grade A wood, locally sourced; we harvested our water from the glasshouse roofs for irrigation and installed solar panels to assist with the electricity requirements,” said Mrs Lamb.
“We were the first tulip nursery to purchase a Furora robot from Holland,” she added.
In the last 12 months the couple have retired from Lambs Flowers and they hope to spend more time with their family.
Having served as a treasurer for the Spalding Horticultural Training Group, a committee member of the South Holland Growers Club and lately a trustee of the Springfields Horticultural Society, Sue was presented with the award by Adrian Jansen, chairman of Springfields Horticultural Society at the society’s Spring Flower Show and Daffodil Competition held over the weekend.
David Norton, chief executive of Springfields Horticultural Society, said Sue had been ‘an active advocate of the horticultural sector’.
“Her firm belief was this not only helped growers to see new crops and varieties, but that the annual hog roast allowed growers to meet and mingle with supermarket buyers and technologists, something some packers had actively tried to resist,” said David.
The Carlo Naef award has been awarded by trustees of the society in acknowledgement of their work. The silver salver was gifted to the horticultural society to mark the 90th birthday of Carlo Naef, chairman of flower importers J & E Page, of London’s Covent Garden.