The Garden Club of America and the Royal Horticultural Society Interchange Fellowships Grant

The Garden Club of America and the Royal Horticultural Society offer prestigious Interchange Fellowships aimed at fostering British-American collaboration in horticulture and landscape architecture. These fellowships provide American and British scholars with transformative experiences in the UK and US, respectively, focusing on hands-on horticultural work and education. The program includes financial support for travel and living expenses, ensuring fellows gain significant exposure to diverse horticultural practices and build valuable professional connections.

Note: The American Scholars to the UK and the British Scholars to the US have different deadlines for application and interview.
International Work & Study: The Garden Club of America and the Royal Horticultural Society Interchange Fellowships
Purpose
To foster British-American relations through the interchange of scholars in horticulture, landscape architecture, and related areas and to promote the exchange of information in the horticulture field.
These international and prestigious Interchange Fellowships allow for an American student to study and work in the UK and a British student to study and work in the U.S. The fellowships last one year and are life changing experiences for the recipients who go on to be leaders in the field of horticulture.
Level of Education
For recent college graduates in horticulture, landscape architecture, or a related field.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Interchange Fellow (American Scholar to the UK)
Provisions
The Interchange Fellowship provides a 10 month course of study in the United Kingdom for the RHS Interchange Fellow from September - June. The chosen American fellow will work with the RHS program coordinator to set up an individualized program within the RHS’s numerous gardens, and possibly affiliated gardens, which will reflect the fellow’s interests, career goals, and aspirations. As it is a work-study program, an interest in “hands-on” garden work and basic gardening skills is important.
The intention is to give the fellow as rich and as broad an experience as possible in a variety of settings, thus providing valuable exposure to British horticultural techniques, and developing important contacts within the RHS. Due to stringent visa requirements, the program must be fully planned prior to the arrival of the fellow in the UK. The fellow will begin at RHS Wisley, the flagship garden of the RHS, and could include, but not be limited to, other RHS gardens such as Harlow Carr, Rosemoor, Hyde Hall, and Bridgewater. Part of the experience will be involvement with the annual world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, held in London.
The GCA pays for the American fellow’s round trip ticket to the UK, fees for visa applications, UK health premiums, related travel expenses, and provides a supplementary stipend of $7000 USD for incidental living costs.
The RHS will reimburse up to £16,000 GB Pounds to the fellow to cover housing, food, and personal expenses during the 10 month experience.
Provisions
The Interchange Fellowship provides a year-long work experience program (from September to August) in the United States for the British GCA Interchange Fellow. Studies in horticulture, landscape architecture, and environmental studies will be centered at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania with additional short placements in regional gardens. The program will be a highly-structured, stimulating, and exciting non-academic, practical program in ornamental horticulture. Due to visa requirements, the full program is created prior to arriving in the U.S. Fellows will experience different horticulture areas at Longwood such as the Conservatory, Outdoor Landscapes, and Natural Lands, and participate in Longwood Gardens special events.
Fellows will participate in weekly learning opportunities including trips to regional gardens, museums, nurseries, and horticultural enterprises; they will uncover American horticultural techniques and regional plant species; fellows will make valuable horticultural contacts.
Financial support for the program is shared among Longwood Gardens, The Garden Club of America, and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The GCA pays $7000 USD for approved travel to other American gardens in addition to the Longwood Gardens experience.
Longwood Gardens, in cooperation with the GCA, provides wages, onsite housing, and health insurance for the fellow during the period of the fellowship.

Eligibility

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Interchange Fellow (American Scholar to the UK) The RHS Interchange Fellowship is open to a single, unaccompanied graduate of a university in the USA who is a U.S. citizen and has earned a BA or BS degree in horticulture, plant sciences, landscape architecture, or a related degree. Selected finalists are required to attend an interview in New York City and will be notified of the time and place.The GCA Interchange Fellow (British Scholar to the U.S.)The GCA Interchange Fellowship is open to British student horticulturists in possession of a recognized horticultural qualification. This includes those in possession of horticultural qualifications at Level 2 Diploma and above as well as university graduates and final year-students studying a horticulture-related degree. The fellow shall be a citizen of a member country of the United Kingdom. Only one CGA Scholarship, Fellowship, or Award may be applied for annually.