GARDEN centre teams from across the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) South East region are celebrating today after scooping awards during a presentation evening yesterday at Coolings Nurseries in Kent (Tuesday, July 8, 2025).
Garden Centre of the Year in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category was Ruxley Manor, the Garden Centre (GC) category award went to Coolings Nurseries and Local Garden Centre (LGC) to Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst.
GCA CEO, Peter Burks said: “We had a very jolly evening at our first summer awards session of the year. I’d like to thank everyone who came along. It was brilliant to welcome around 110 attendees to the event and to see them making lots of notes to share with their colleagues.
“I’d like to congratulate all our very fantastic winners and say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone at Coolings Nurseries for being such accommodating hosts and to our Inspector Alyson Haywood for being part of the team who visited the centres and for presenting their inspection findings in such an illuminating way.”
Alyson was one of the team of inspectors who made unannounced visits to member garden centres in the South East area across a 12-week period through spring and early summer.
She said: “It was a pleasure once again to judge the South East region as part of the GCA inspections. We’ve had some great weather for the season and the sun shone while I travelled around the South East, which was an extra bonus after the exceptionally wet weather during the same period last year when I was judging.
“This time, all the centres were looking good in the glorious sunshine. I also saw some great examples of ingenuity and originality and some lovely plant ranges too.”
The main winners for the South East region GCA area awards are as follows for the DGC, GC and LGC categories:
Garden Centre of the Year:
DCG
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Coolings Nurseries
LGC
Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer:
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Squires Garden Centre, Milford
LGC
Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
The Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant:
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Henry Street Garden Centre
LGC
Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
Food Hall/Farm Shop Award
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
LGC
No centre in this category
Indoor Lifestyle Award for Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer:
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
LGC
Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth
Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC – THREE JOINT WINNERS
Squires Garden Centre, Milford
Ransoms Garden Centre
Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend
LGC
Knights Plant Centre, Betchworth
Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer:
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Garsons Garden Centre, Titchfield
LGC
Millbrook Garden Company, Staplehurst
The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity:
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Haskins Garden Centre, Forest Lodge
LGC
Thompson’s Welling
Plantaria (Ruxley Rose):
DGC
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
GC
Millbrook Garden Company, Gravesend
LGC
Thompson’s Welling
The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability:
Haskins Garden Centre, Snowhill
Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service:
Coolings Nurseries
The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre:
Thompson’s Canterbury
The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.
Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.
For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.
