This year’s three-day GCA Conference in Blackburn came to an end on Wednesday evening in spectacular fashion with Ron and Wendy Bent of Bents Garden and Home not only becoming honorary GCA members but also seeing their family company be recognised as a Garden Centre of Excellence and named Destination Centre of the Year. 

Matthew Bent said the awards were a win for the whole team who each year strive to become better in everything they do.

Also having cause for a great celebration was the team from  Klondyke Garden Centres which scored a hatrick in the Garden Centre of the Year category. Morton Hall Garden Centre took the overall prize with Klondyke Garden Wise and Strikes Stokesley centre runners up.

GCA Garden Centres of Excellence

Barton Grange

Bents Garden and Home

Cowell’s Garden Centre

Fron Goch Garden Centre

Gordale Garden & Home

Strikes Garden Centre, Stokesley

Pacific Nurseries

Perrywood - Tiptree

Ruxley Manor

The Old Railway Line

The Best Marketing Campaign or Initiative - The Worrall Cup went to Pugh’s Garden Centres for its Christmas influencer campaign. They fought off stiff competition from Coolings Garden Centre’s Feel Good Gardens and Tong Garden Centre’s  Love Nature Garden initiatives.

Wyevale Nurseries was recognised as Associate Member of the Year winning The Haskins Stewart Cup. Other finalists in this category were Woodlodge and Westland.

Consultant Andy Campbell also became an honorary member in recognition for his more than two decades of judging for the GCA.

Another outstanding winner was the Greenfingers Charity which received a cheque for a staggering £100,000 raised by delegates throughout the three-day event. Guy Topping from Barton Grange presented the cheque to an overwhelmed Sue Allen who said it would go towards a GCA sponsored garden.