Annual audit of members reveals standards are as high as ever with 15 garden centres scoring over 84%.
The GCA has named garden centres from as far and wide as London to Tyne and Wear as Garden Centres of Excellence.

In naming the 15 centres which received the accolade, Ian Boardman, senior GCA inspector said: "From a GCA point of viewpoint, standards have increasing and this is a huge credit to all the staff involved for all their hard work."

Of all the GCA audits carried out this year, 98 centres improved, and the average score has gone up from 74% in 2006 to 75%.

The 15 centres are:

Armitages Pennine Garden Centre

Aylett Nurseries, Hertfordshire

Bents Garden Centre Nurseries, Cheshire

Coolings Nurseries, Kent

Cowell's Garden Centre, Tyne & Wear

Frosts at Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire

Grosvenor Garden Centre, Cheshire

Heighley Gate Garden Centre, Northumberland

Lady Green Garden Centre, Mersyside

The Millbrook Garden Company, Kent

Sunshine Garden Centre. London

Trelawney Garden Leisure, Cornwall

Woodlands Nurseries, Leicestershire

Webbs of Wychbold, Worcestershire

Whiteleys Garden Centre, Yorkshire

The overall winner will be awarded GCA Garden Centre of the Year 2008; this centre has to achieve the highest marks from the top three scoring centres; all have to undergo a second unannounced inspection.

For comment and reaction read next week's DIY Week – out on Friday October 12.