November 15, 2014
The top garden centres in Ontario were rewarded with the Awards of Excellence at a special presentations during Expo.
Award winning garden centres and growers honoured at Expo
Awards recognized this year’s top garden centres and growers during Expo 2014. The Oct. 23 event saw garden centre owners from across the province receive recognition for excellence.
The awards cover all aspects of garden centre operations, including interior and exterior merchandising and plant displays.
This year saw a large number of winning entries from Northern Ontario, as far away as Sault Ste. Marie. There were also a number of familiar names among the winners such as Sheridan Nurseries, Canadale Nurseries and Sandhill Nursery.
“It is an incredibly difficult task when you are selecting the best from a crop of companies and people who excel in their field,” says Denis Flanagan, ceremony host and public relations manager of Landscape Ontario. “With our Awards of Excellence, we are really looking for those who go above and beyond to add something extra to their displays and marketing as well as endeavour to ensure their customers are truly satisfied. This year’s winners are certainly deserving of the honour in recognition of the dedication they have shown to their retail and growing operations.”
The following are the 2014 Awards of Excellence garden centre winners.
Angelo’s Garden Centre, Concord: Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials.
Bala Garden Centre, Bala: Merchandising techniques —promotional event; Display of goods — hardgoods.
Canadale Nurseries, St. Thomas: Merchandising techniques — promotional event; Display of goods — hardgoods; Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Permanent display gardens — over 500 square feet.
Cudmore’s Garden Centre, Oakville: Display of plant material - annuals and/or perennials.
Garden Market, Burk’s Falls: Permanent display gardens — over 500 square feet; Merchandising techniques — Outstanding website development; merchandising techniques — Outstanding promotional event; Outstanding display of goods — giftware.
New North Greenhouses, Sault Ste. Marie: Outstanding display of goods — giftware; Merchandising techniques —promotional event.
Parkway Gardens, London: Merchandising techniques - promotional event.
Peter Knippel Nursery, Gloucester: Display of goods — giftware.
Reds Garden Centre, Halton Hills: Merchandising techniques — print advertising.
Sandhill Nursery, Huntsville: Merchandising techniques - promotional event; display of goods — giftware; Permanent display gardens — under 500 square feet; Merchandising techniques — Outstanding website development; Permanent display gardens — over 500 square feet; Display of plant material — deciduous shrubs and/or trees; Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Etobicoke: Outstanding display of goods — hardgoods; Display of plant material — your specialty; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Georgetown: Outstanding display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Merchandising techniques — Outstanding print advertising; Display of goods — hardgoods; Merchandising techniques — website development.
Sheridan Nurseries, Kitchener: Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of plant material — evergreens and/or broadleaf evergreens; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Mississauga: Outstanding display of plant material — deciduous shrubs and/or trees.
Sheridan Nurseries, Scarborough: Outstanding display of plant material — your specialty; Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Toronto: Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Unionville: Display of plant material — Deciduous shrubs and/or trees.
Sheridan Nurseries, Whitby: Merchandising techniques — Promotional event.
Sipkens Nurseries (Palace Perennials), Port Carling: Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of plant material — evergreens and/or broadleaf evergreens; Display of goods — giftware; Display of goods — hardgoods; Display of plant material - deciduous shrubs and/or trees; Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Display of goods – seasonal; Permanent display gardens — under 500 square feet.
Wayside Garden Market, Port Carling: Outstanding display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials.
The list of Growers Awards of Excellence winners was read off at the Expo event. The names of those winners were published following the annual Auction in the August issue of Landscape Ontario magazine.
The awards cover all aspects of garden centre operations, including interior and exterior merchandising and plant displays.
This year saw a large number of winning entries from Northern Ontario, as far away as Sault Ste. Marie. There were also a number of familiar names among the winners such as Sheridan Nurseries, Canadale Nurseries and Sandhill Nursery.
“It is an incredibly difficult task when you are selecting the best from a crop of companies and people who excel in their field,” says Denis Flanagan, ceremony host and public relations manager of Landscape Ontario. “With our Awards of Excellence, we are really looking for those who go above and beyond to add something extra to their displays and marketing as well as endeavour to ensure their customers are truly satisfied. This year’s winners are certainly deserving of the honour in recognition of the dedication they have shown to their retail and growing operations.”
The following are the 2014 Awards of Excellence garden centre winners.
Angelo’s Garden Centre, Concord: Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials.
Bala Garden Centre, Bala: Merchandising techniques —promotional event; Display of goods — hardgoods.
Canadale Nurseries, St. Thomas: Merchandising techniques — promotional event; Display of goods — hardgoods; Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Permanent display gardens — over 500 square feet.
Cudmore’s Garden Centre, Oakville: Display of plant material - annuals and/or perennials.
Garden Market, Burk’s Falls: Permanent display gardens — over 500 square feet; Merchandising techniques — Outstanding website development; merchandising techniques — Outstanding promotional event; Outstanding display of goods — giftware.
New North Greenhouses, Sault Ste. Marie: Outstanding display of goods — giftware; Merchandising techniques —promotional event.
Parkway Gardens, London: Merchandising techniques - promotional event.
Peter Knippel Nursery, Gloucester: Display of goods — giftware.
Reds Garden Centre, Halton Hills: Merchandising techniques — print advertising.
Sandhill Nursery, Huntsville: Merchandising techniques - promotional event; display of goods — giftware; Permanent display gardens — under 500 square feet; Merchandising techniques — Outstanding website development; Permanent display gardens — over 500 square feet; Display of plant material — deciduous shrubs and/or trees; Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Etobicoke: Outstanding display of goods — hardgoods; Display of plant material — your specialty; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Georgetown: Outstanding display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Merchandising techniques — Outstanding print advertising; Display of goods — hardgoods; Merchandising techniques — website development.
Sheridan Nurseries, Kitchener: Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of plant material — evergreens and/or broadleaf evergreens; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Mississauga: Outstanding display of plant material — deciduous shrubs and/or trees.
Sheridan Nurseries, Scarborough: Outstanding display of plant material — your specialty; Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Toronto: Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of goods — seasonal.
Sheridan Nurseries, Unionville: Display of plant material — Deciduous shrubs and/or trees.
Sheridan Nurseries, Whitby: Merchandising techniques — Promotional event.
Sipkens Nurseries (Palace Perennials), Port Carling: Merchandising techniques —Promotional event; Display of plant material — evergreens and/or broadleaf evergreens; Display of goods — giftware; Display of goods — hardgoods; Display of plant material - deciduous shrubs and/or trees; Display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials; Display of goods – seasonal; Permanent display gardens — under 500 square feet.
Wayside Garden Market, Port Carling: Outstanding display of plant material — annuals and/or perennials.
The list of Growers Awards of Excellence winners was read off at the Expo event. The names of those winners were published following the annual Auction in the August issue of Landscape Ontario magazine.