Castle Gardens (above) have won the GCA Christmas competition for Best Garden Centre for the eighth successive year and Bents (below) have been awarded Best Christmas Destination Garden Centre in the UK.

After the results were confirmed last week Bents posted "Voted Best Christmas in the UK!" on their facebook page and Louise Burks, director of The Gardens Group, explained in a press release; “We’re delighted to win this national award for the eighth time, it’s a real achievement and one we are extremely proud of. Our Christmas displays demonstrate a real team effort across The Gardens Group, as everyone works hard to make sure they look their absolute best, from the opening in October, right up until Christmas.

Brimsmore, another of The Gardens Group centres came third in the national garden centre category. This year marked the first time that The Apple Tree Farm Shop, based at Brimsmore Gardens, was judged and it received high praise from the judges for its “enticing, comprehensive and easy to shop range of local products”, as well as the Christmas hampers available, filled with a selection of goods from the farm shop, which is all stocked “in wonderful little huts.”

Louise added: "For The Apple Tree Farm Shop to receive such high praise in its first year being judged is incredible. We make a real effort to stock the very best produce from local makers, growers and butchers, so it’s fantastic to get this recognition on a national scale.”

See GTN Xtra's photo gallery of Christmas at Bents 2017: