South Africa’s Nursery Association (SANA) hosts an annual GCA Garden Centre competition to present to you, dear gardeners, the cream of the crop! Garden centres and home store garden departments are measured against a set of criteria aimed at assessing and improving product standards and professional service in the industry. Here are the best garden centres in SA! Did your favourite make it?

Stodels Nurseries Bellville – Garden Centre of the year 

Address: Eversdale Rd, Bellville 

From humble beginnings, Stodels Garden Centres have developed into a household name in gardening in the Western Cape. From the outset, Stodels Garden Centres focused on providing their customers with excellent service, top quality products and affordable prices. Fifty years later, the trio of service, quality and affordability has built a respected and much-loved brand. 

Originating from a mail order catalogue and door to door sales, the Stodels brand has grown to its current complement of seven award-winning garden centres today, two of which are based in Gauteng. The company was started by Mr Robert Stodel, in August 1962, when he started selling flower bulbs door to door and from the Parade in Cape Town. A mail order bulb catalogue soon followed and within a few years, Stodels Flower Bulbs became the biggest flower bulb retailer in South Africa, posting nearly 600 000 bulb catalogues to Cape households and importing up to 20 million bulbs from Holland every year.

Find out more: https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/stodels-bellville/   

Garden Pavilion Eckards – Runner up 

Address: 101 Boeing Rd East, Bedfordview, Germiston 

Eckards is a well-established garden centre that received a new lease on life in 1993. Along the way it became a Garden Pavilion and has continued to move with the times, maintaining a traditional feel with modern influences. Eckards prides itself on a high level of service, quality plants and helping gardeners and growers alike. Having maintained a gold grading status for several years, Eckards consistently features on the GCA top ten garden centres in SA list.

The multiple award-winning team, which include a number of qualified horticulturalists, are dedicated and truly passionate about gardening and has made Eckards what it is today. The owner, Wayne Stewart, drives the team with great passion. Eckards offers everything you need for a beautiful garden and more.

Find out more: https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/eckards-garden-pavilion-bedfordview-gauteng/  

Plantland Menlyn – 2nd Runner up 

Address: Corner of January Masilela & Atterbury Drive, Fearie Glen, Pretoria. 

When you enter one of Plantland’s four branches in Pretoria for the first time, you’d easily mistake their family-owned Garden Centre for the Garden of Eden. Jimie Malan is the fourth generation to manage the nurseries. Plantland stemmed from Malanseuns Pleasure Plants (Plant Growers & Distributors), which started out as a fruit producing farm more than 100 years ago in the North of Pretoria. 

For pots and plants of all colours and sizes, statues stretching from the classic roman collection to contemporary styles, as well as goodies for all your wildlife creatures – Plantland awaits you. The sheer beauty of their colourful, breath-taking displays contain all the inspiration you need to transform your home and garden. 

Find out more: https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/plantland-menlyn-gauteng/  

Home Store of the year: Builders Warehouse Port Elizabeth 

Address: Access Park, Cnr Buffelsfontein Rd and 17th Ave, Walmer 

Builder’s Warehouse Port Elizabeth continuously aspires to “make this nursery the best in the country”. This was the vision of then CEO Joe Owens in 2006 when Builders Warehouse Port Elizabeth first opened its doors and it remains the store’s vision today. Builders is a leader in home improvement and building materials with complete project solutions. This leading Garden Centre has walked away with the trophy for Best Home Store Garden Department for the 15th consecutive year. 

While the team on the floor, led by department Manager Michelle Meyer, is responsible for delivering the exceptional customer experience that earned them the SANA award, they would not have been successful if they did not receive the support and encouragement from their sales manager Lara Maritz and the head office team members Johanita Corbett and Fiona Delport. Their suppliers also provide tremendous support which keeps them motivated and driven to be the best. 

Find out more: https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/builders-warehouse-port-elizabeth-eastern-cape/  

Congratulations to all Garden Centres of Excellence for making sure that South Africa continues to have some of the best garden centres in the world! To find your local GCA Garden Centre, click here. Stay up to date with all your garden care and inspiration by joining the conversation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa.