Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester has been named Local Garden Centre of the Year at the Garden Centre Association’s Summer 2026 Midlands, Wales & West regional awards.
Part of The Gardens Group, Poundbury Gardens was presented with the award on Thursday 16 July during a presentation at Gates Garden Centre in Hinckley.
In a year that has seen the garden centre celebrate 20 years under the same stewardship, Poundbury Gardens stood out in the region during the annual GCA inspection. It was recognised for showing excellent examples of best practice when it comes to customer service, plant quality and sustainability. Following a second inspection, Poundbury Gardens has been listed in the top three UK local garden centres nationally and will find out the result in January 2027.
Richard Jenkins, assistant manager of Poundbury Gardens, commented: “We’ve had lots of cause to celebrate already this year as we marked our 20th anniversary, and this announcement is the icing on the cake. As well as finding ways to minimise our impact on the environment, we all pull together to create a warm and inviting space for gardeners of all ages and abilities to visit. This is certainly an achievement that we can all be proud of, and it will provide further motivation for us to continue demonstrating how gardening can be a force for good when it comes to both people and planet.”
Brimsmore Gardens, Castle Gardens and Poundbury Gardens all returned from the presentation event with awards in the Garden Centre and Local Garden Centre Categories. The full list of awards is below.
The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – First place
The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – Third place
Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:
Garden Centre
Brimsmore Gardens – The Gardens Group – Second place
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – First place
The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:
Garden Centre
Castle Gardens – The Gardens Group – First place
Brimsmore Gardens – The Gardens Group - Second place
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – First place
Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – Third place
Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:
Garden Centre
Castle Gardens – The Gardens Group – joint third place with Pugh’s Radyr
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – First place
Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:
Garden Centre
Castle Gardens – The Gardens Group – First place
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – joint first place with Webbs Garden Centre, West Hagley
Pots and Outdoor Ornamentation
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – Third place
Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):
Garden Centre
Castle Gardens – The Gardens Group – Third place
Local Garden Centre
Poundbury Gardens – The Gardens Group – Second place
Picture caption: GCA Midlands, Wales & West region Garden Centre of the Year winners in the LGC category, Poundbury Gardens.
