GCA Recognises Best Garden Centres At 2025 Conference

GARDEN centre teams from across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference today (Monday, January 27, 2025).

They were presented to the highest scoring member garden centres during a special ceremony at the De Vere Wokefield Estate, Reading.

Peter Burks, GCA Chief Executive, says: “Through our annual inspections, and these subsequent awards given to those that score the best in those inspections, we know our member garden centres have some of the highest standards in our industry. Each year, our members go from strength to strength and the competition to reach the top spots is more hotly contested. 

“All our worthy winners and runners up in each category should be very proud of the example they set to others. I’d like to congratulate every one of them for their outstanding commitment to ensuring the public receives a truly positive experience when visiting them.

“We’re indebted to Kaemingk for sponsoring our conference on Monday and to our overall headline sponsors Evergreen Garden Care and Westland Horticulture, plus our secondary main sponsor Smart Garden Products. I would also like to thank all our category award sponsors for supporting us this year too.” 

The full list of winners announced on Monday, January 27 were:

GCA GROW Training Award

• GCA GROW Training Award – Squires Garden Centre, Reigate [pictured]

Dick Allen Award (Most Improved Garden Centre)

Winner 

• Pyle Garden Centre

Second & third place winners

• Parker’s Garden Centre
• Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield

Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation

Winner

• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 

Second & third place winners

• Bents Garden & Home
• Barton Grange Garden Centre

Paul Cooling Environment and Sustainability Award – sponsored by RocketGro 

Winner 

• Castle Gardens, part of The Gardens Group

Second & third place winners

• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre and Aylett Nurseries =

Customer Service Award – Best Customer Service

Winner 

• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 

Second & third place winners 

• Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury  

Catering Award

Winners 

• Catering Award (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Bents Garden & Home and Ruxley Manor Garden Centre =
• Catering Award (Garden Centre Category) – Thetford Garden Centre
• Catering Award (Local Garden Centre Category) – Rutland Nursery

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill
• Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree and East Bridgford Garden Centre – Blue Diamond =

Garden Centre Category 

• Fron Goch Garden Centre and Byrkley Park Garden Centre – Klondyke =
• Meadow Croft Garden Centre

Local Garden Centre Category

• Klondyke Garden Centre, Howdens
• Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe, Smith’s Garden Centre, Baginton, Thirsk Garden Centre, Creative Gardens Bushmills, Creative Gardens Galgorm, Woodworks Garden Centre & Café, British Garden Centres, Bolton & RHS Bridgewater

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer

Winners

• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 

• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Klondyke Mortonhall Garden Centre [pictured above]
  
  
• The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer (Local Garden Centre Category) – Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill

Garden Centre Category

• Simpsons Garden Centre
• Aylett Nurseries

Local Garden Centre Category

• Fairways Garden Centre, Macclesfield
• Klondyke Garden Centre, Burnside

Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup – sponsored by The Horti House

Winners

• Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 
• Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Garden Centre Category) – Castle Gardens, part of The Gardens Group
• Ian Boardman Indoor Plants Cup (Local Garden Centre Category) – Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth 

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Bents Garden and Home
• Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea

Garden Centre Category

• Cowell’s Garden Centre and Ransoms Garden Centre =
• Aylett Nurseries 

Local Garden Centre Category

• Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group
• Rutland Nursery

The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer – sponsored by Woodmansternegroe

Winners 

• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Bents Garden and Home

• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Garden Centre Category) –Squires Garden Centre, Woking and Squires Garden Centre, Wokingham =

• The Indoor Lifestyle Award – Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer (Local Garden Centre Category) – Rutland Nursery 

Second & third place winners 

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Garsons Garden Centre, Esher  
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

Garden Centre Category

• Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
• Fron Goch Garden Centre and Ransoms Garden Centre =

Local Garden Centre Category 

• Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth and Raglan Garden Centre =

• Squires Garden Centre, Reigate and Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst =

The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer – sponsored by Woodlodge

Winners

• The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Esher  
• The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
• The Outdoor Living Award – Best Outdoor Living Retailer (Local Garden Centre Category) – Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe 

Second & third place winners 

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Bents Garden and Home
• Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

Garden Centre Category

• Fron Goch Garden Centre and Ransoms Garden Centre =
• Klondyke Stokesley Garden Centre and Poplars Garden Centre =

Local Garden Centre Category

• Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group and Squires Garden Centre, Reigate =
• Squires Garden Centre, Crawley and Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst =

Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award – sponsored by Clifton Coffee Roasters

Winners 

• Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Gates Garden Centre
• Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Garden Centre Category) – Bellis Brothers Farm Shop & Garden Centre
• Best Food Hall/Farm Shop Award (Local Garden Centre Category) – Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe 

Second & third place winners 

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Garsons Garden Centre, Esher
• Bents Garden & Home and Barton Grange Garden Centre =

Garden Centre Category

• Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
• Old Railway Line Garden Centre

Local Garden Centre Category

• Klondyke Beverley Garden Centre
• Parker’s Garden Centre 

Ruxley Rose Award for Best Overall Plantaria sponsored by Allensmore Nurseries Ltd

Winners 

• Ruxley Rose (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree 
• Ruxley Rose (Garden Centre Category) – Cowell’s Garden Centre
• Ruxley Rose (Local Garden Centre Category) – Thompson’s Welling [pictured]

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Barton Grange Garden Centre  
• Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea

Garden Centre Category

• Squires Garden Centre, Hersham  
• Klondyke Garden Centre, Polmont

Local Garden Centre Category

• Thompson’s Newchurch
• Klondyke Garden Centre, Livingston

Christmas Competition – sponsored by Gisela Graham

Winners                                                          

• Christmas Competition (Destination Garden Centre Category) – Garsons Garden Centre, Esher
• Christmas Competition (Garden Centre Category) – Castle Gardens, part of The Gardens Group
• Christmas Competition (Local Garden Centre Category) – Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe

Second & third place winners

Destination Garden Centre Category

• Gates Garden Centre
• Barton Grange Garden Centre

Garden Centre Category

• Pugh’s Garden Village Radyr
• The Old Railway Line Garden Centre

Local Garden Centre Category

• Brimsmore Gardens, part of the Gardens Group
• Poundbury Gardens in Dorset, part of the Gardens Group

The GCA represents more than 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. 

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

Source : Garden Centre Association

Main image : Barton Grange Award - Perrywood Tiptree

For all the very latest news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter.