Hozelock’s top-selling Flexi-Spray hose-end attachment took the Sword of Excellence for best new product in the 2013 GIMA Awards, announced on Thursday.

It was the product’s second accolade of the summer, having already been voted best new product at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May.

The Sword is presented annually after a ‘play-off’ between category winners at the GIMA judging. Flexi-Spray topped the growing and planting equipment category.

Vitax’s wool-based Slug Gone deterrent – another garden centre top summer seller – came out winner in the garden care category, but lost out to Hozelock in a close play-off vote for the top honour.

The prestigious Supplier of the Year Award, chosen by members of the Garden Centre Association, went to Taylors Bulbs, while Gardman took the Gardenex Export Award for their work with Truffaut France, parent company of the Garden & Leisure Group.

There was a double win for Solus Garden & Leisure, with their solar-powered Animalities range taking the outdoor leisure features award and the Flower Stick Bird Feeder topping the pet care, aquatics and wild bird category.

The garden tools, machinery and implements award went to distributors E.P.Barrus for Wilkinson Sword’s Razor Cut Comfort Pruners range, while Kelkay’s Perfect Paving patio kits was the landscaping winner.

Magnetic houseplant pots imported by Javado won the seeds, plants and bulbs category and Burgon & Ball’s Kneelo knee pads took the garden retail related award.

In the marketing categories, there were wins for Suttons (best POS, for grafted plants), Westland (best consumer packaging, for the Aftercut Even-Flo lawn feed spreader) and STV (best marketing communication, for their new-look website).


Steve le Sage of Taylors Bulbs receives the GCA's Supplier of the Year award from Gyles Brandreth and GCA chairman Peter Burks