THE GARDEN Centre Association (GCA) revealed the winners of its most prestigious awards at its annual conference including its 10 Garden Centres of Excellence. 

The awards were presented to the winners during a ceremony at Luton Hoo Hotel.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “I’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of our ‘Garden Centres of Excellence’ winners. They have all shown immense dedication, hard work and enthusiasm and are a real credit to the horticultural industry.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The full list of winners announced on Tuesday, January 22 were:

Garden Centres of Excellence (top 10 in alphabetical order not order of inspection scores):

1. Aylett Nurseries Ltd
2. Barton Grange Garden Centre
3. Bents Garden & Home
4. Burston Rose and Garden Centre
5. Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone
6. Haskins Garden Centre – Snowhill
7. The Old Railway Line Garden Centre
8. Perrywood Garden Centre & Nurseries
9. Poplars Garden Centre
10. Stewarts Garden Centre – Christchurch. 

Associate of the Year:

• Smart Garden Products

GCA GROW Training Award:

• Meadow Croft Garden Centre

The Worrall Cup:

• The award for Best Marketing Campaign or Initiative was won by Haskins Garden Centre for its ‘Big Reindeer Giveaway’.

Garden Centre of the Year:

• The Old Railway Line Garden Centre

Destination Garden Centre of the Year:

• Bents Garden & Home

For further details about the conference, please call 01244 952170. Alternatively, please visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/Garden-Centre-Association or follow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.