The GCA has its origins in the very roots of the garden centre movement, which surprisingly has only been in existence for around half a century. The association was established in 1966 by the early pioneers wishing to make plants available year-round and make gardening more accessible.

The GCA offers its members a range of benefits but at the core of their activities is the garden centre customer experience. One example of this is the GCA’s pioneering e-learning training programme for garden centre staff. There are approximately 100 courses available, covering topics on product knowledge, plant care and customer service. These courses have been accessed by 10,000 members of staff within GCA centres.

They ask our garden centre members, from the moment they join, to meet the highest retail standards and to participate in an annual inspection process, to ensure these standards are maintained and improved. GCA members, large and small, set the benchmark for high retailing standards within the industry which others can only aspire to. The Association can state, proudly, that it represents the leading garden centres within the UK and worldwide as part of its membership of the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA).