CASTLE Gardens in Sherborne, Dorset took first place in The Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Innovation and Creativity at the Midlands, Wales and West Garden Centre Association (GCA) Awards.

As well as coming second in the Garden Centre of the Year award in the Garden Centre Category, Castle Gardens won The Paul Cooling Award for Environment and Sustainability.

This accolade is reflective of the efforts across all three of its garden centres, which include Brimsmore Gardens and Poundbury Gardens.

The houseplant department at Castle Gardens was also recognised as it took first place in the Ian Boardman Award for Best Indoor Plants Retailer in the Garden Centre Category and its furniture department came third place in the Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer in the Garden Centre Category.

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, said: “The Gardens Group did extraordinarily well at this year’s GCA awards with a total of seven awards being received across all three of our centres.

“We have an incredibly proactive, passionate and skilled team, who continue to innovate and make our garden centres a welcoming place for all, while considering our impact on the environment.

“Recognition like this is a real testament to their hard work and dedication and we will continue to evolve and innovate to help spread the word that gardening is a force for good when it comes to people and planet.”

Further awards came for The Gardens Group’s plantaria bedding and hardy plants at all three of its garden centres, as Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil came first in the Ruxley Rose competition and Poundbury Gardens came second in the Local Garden Centre category, while Castle Gardens in Sherborne came first in the Garden Centre Category.

All three garden centres will go through a second round of judging in September to determine the overall winners in the region.

Over the course of 12 weeks, GCA judge, Colin Farquhar made a number of unannounced visits to garden centres across the Midlands, Wales and West, before the final awards were announced at a presentation held at Melbicks Garden Centre in Birmingham on July 9.

This was the first year that the awards covered the Midlands, Wales and West and the first time the awards were split into three categories, Local Garden Centre, Garden Centre and Destination Garden Centre.