GTN's Greatest Awards team of experts are out in force this week and the following two weeks visiting the teams at the 57 Garden Centres nominated in this year's Greatest Christmas Awards.

The judges will be meeting the teams at the centres, listed below, to find out just what makes them so great across 14 Christmas Award categories ranging from The Greatest Christmas Houseplant team to The Greatest Christmas Sizzle team for seasonal sales of BBQ's and the like.  And with the recent changes in FaceMask wearing there's also an award for The Greatest COVID Safe Christmas Team.

Huge thanks goes to our sponsors: Woodlodge, Elho, DCUK, Solex and Global Journey for making the face to face visits possible this year.

Here's the list of the 57 nominated centres:

ACW Garden Centre, Albrighton – BGC, Altons, Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange, Baytree Garden Centre, Bents, Blue Diamond Cadbury, Blue Diamond Derby, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Bosworths, Braintree – BGC, Bridgnorth – BGC, Brigg Garden Centre – BGC, Brookside Garden Centre - Kent, Burford House – BGC, Cherry Lane Podington, Coolings Green & Pleasant, Coolings Main Road, Downtown Garden Centre, Fron Goch, Garsons, Gates Garden Centre, Glendoick Garden Centre, Gouldings, Groves Bridport, Hetland, Hillmount Ards, Hillmount Belfast, Hillmount Cheshire, Hilmount Bangor, Lakeside Plant Centre, Little Dobbies Richmond, Millbrook Gravesend, Newquay Garden Centre, Pengelly Garden Centre, Perrywood Sudbury, Perrywood Tiptree, Planters Bretby, Planters Tamworth, Pughs Radyr, Pughs Wenvoe, Rosebourne – Aldermaston, Rosebourne – Weyhill, Sapcote Garden Centre, Silverbirch, Squires Badshot Lea, Studley – BGC, Tates South Downs, Thatcham – BGC, The Old Railway Line, Waresley Park Carden Centre, Webbs Wychbold, Woodbank Garden Centre, Woodlands Garden Centre, Woodthorpe – BGC, Woseley – BGC

And here's the list of categories they are vying to be The Greatest in:

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team
• The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team    
• The Greatest Festive Food Hall Team      
• The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team        
• The Greatest Christmas Pets Team          
• The Greatest Christmas Community or Charity Initiative
• The Greatest Social Media Christmas Marketing Idea       
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video     
• The Greatest Winter Garden Care Sales Team     
• The Greatest Covid Safe Christmas Team              
• The Greatest Group Garden Centre Christmas Team        

After all the judging visits, GTN's team of experts will be meeting up early in the new year to decide upon the winners and they will be announced and presented on The Stage at Spring Fair on Monday 7th February at 5:00pm.  See you there!

To whet your appetite for the galleries of garden centre Christmas photos we'll be bringing you in GTN Xtra and GTN magazine over the coming weeks and months, here are photos frm one of our early judging visits to Burford House - BGC.