The Garden Centre Association: Quality guaranteed
The GCA is part of the South African Nursery Association (SANA). Where SANA has a broader scope and plays a bigger role in South Africa’s gardening industry, the GCA is aimed at maintaining the quality of the garden centre customer experience.
To spread the word and the knowledge of both the GCA and SANA, Life is a Garden (LIAG) was established. While it is essentially a marketing division, its scope has grown organically until the website has become a one-stop guide to gardening in South Africa, where readers can find their closest GCA-approved garden centre, gain knowledge on plants and gardening, as well as discover fun projects for the garden and learn how to garden responsibly.
The monthly newsletter has become eagerly anticipated by gardeners around the country, full as it is with helpful tips and hints, news on new releases and ideas on how to get the best out of your garden, no matter the season.
The key objectives of the GCA are to ensure that each and every member garden centre constantly strives to improve nursery standards and is guided in this goal by the National Association.
While the business of a nursery is selling plants, a GCA Garden Centre is more than just a commitment to selling healthy, good-quality stock. It is also a promise to look after the environment, both in terms of not selling alien invasive plants, and in terms of environmentally friendly initiatives such as recycling projects. It is also a pledge to impart knowledge to staff members and the gardening public, because a knowledgeable gardener is a successful gardener, and successful gardeners will keep on gardening. The GCA’s job doesn’t end after handing out its respected green and yellow sign, though. To hold onto that sign and everything it stands for, all GCA centres need to achieve certain levels and prove this when they are regularly evaluated. This ensures that the GCA signs outside the garden centre door are accurate, up-to-date, relevant and continue to stand for excellence in the industry.
As part an international gardening community, the GCA is also an active member of the International Garden Centre Association, which allows South Africa’s nursery industry to learn from the best in the business, and to share our own expertise with the rest of the world.
This international gardening community meets annually for a week-long congress held in a different host country every year. Here business is discussed and contacts made, but more importantly, garden centres are visited so that each member country is aware of best practices and the high standards that are achieved globally. By sharing knowledge, standards are improved in every member country.
The result of all of this is that garden centres of the GCA are amongst the best in the world, continually improving and offering world-class service to every member of the public who walks through their doors.
Below please find a list of GCA members in South Africa:
EASTERN CAPE
Independent Garden Centres
Floradale Nurseries East London | 043 748-2420 |
Floradale Nurseries Port Elizabeth | 041 368-5169 |
Home Stores
Builders Express East London | 086 099-4196 |
Builders Express Newton Park P.E | 086 099-4192 |
Builders Express Queenstown | 086 000-8945 |
Builders Express Uitenhage | 086 000-9518 |
Builders Express Walker Drive P.E | 086 099-4190 |
Builders Express Walmer P.E | 086 099-4183 |
Builders Warehouse Port Elizabeth | 086 000-8900 |
FREE STATE
Independent Garden Centres
All Seasons Garden Centre | 073 724-3705 |
Alma Kwekery | 057 392-1940 |
Bruwer Kwekery | 051 433-2072 |
Greenside Kwekery | 051 451-3042 |
Urth Garden Centre | 082 696-7876 |
Home Stores
Builders Warehouse Bloemfontein | 086 000-8909 |
GAUTENG NORTH
Independent Garden Centres
Plant Paradise Garden Centre | 012 998-5480 |
Plantland Akasia | 012 549-4945 |
Plantland Cornwall Hill | 012 667-6330 |
Plantland Menlyn | 012 348-7121 |
Plantland The Wilds | 012 991-3061 |
Plantland Zambesi | 012 808-1544 |
Safari Tuinsentrum | 012 807-0009 |
Soleil Ludwig Roses | 012 807-2091 |
Stodels Nurseries Centurion | 012 940-8006 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Lynnwood | 012 003-5000 |
Builders Express Raslouw | 086 000-8976 |
Builders Express Wonderpark | 086 099-4185 |
Builders Warehouse Centurion | 086 000-9528 |
Builders Warehouse Erasmus Park | 012 003-6770 |
Builders Warehouse Gezina | 086 000-8907 |
Builders Warehouse Woodlands | 086 000-8915 |
Builders Warehouse Zambesi | 012 548-7777 |
GAUTENG SOUTH
Independent Garden Centres
CND Nursery | 010 035-5212 |
Colourful Splendour Nursery | 011 447-5817 |
Crisanra Kwekery | 016 982-2987 |
Gardening Concepts – Midstream | 087 805-5248 |
Garden Pavilion Brandmullers | 016 428-4397 |
Garden Pavilion Eckards | 011 453-8573 |
Garden Pavilion Sunkist | 010 001-7967 |
Garden World | 011 957-5955 |
Green Thumb Nursery | 082 606-6836 |
Hecker Nursery | 011 894-3643 |
Lifestyle Family Garden Centre | 011 792-5616 |
Ludwig Roses Egoli | 081 715-5110 |
Nicolas Plants Northriding | 011 704-1938 |
Random Harvest Nursery | 011 957-5354 |
Schaffler’s Garden Nursery | 011 786-0323 |
Thyme Square Garden Centre | 011 949-4210 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Bedfordview | 010 271-2580 |
Builders Express Bryanston | 011 540-0900 |
Builders Express Carnival | 086 000-8935 |
Builders Express Cedar Square | 011 561-7000 |
Builders Express Craighall Park | 010 003-6000 |
Builders Express Florida Glen | 086 000-8983 |
Builders Express Greenstone | 011 452-2628 |
Builders Express Lambton | 011 827-1886 |
Builders Express Noordheuwel | 086 999-0536 |
Builders Express Northmead | 010 271-3680 |
Builders Express Norwood | 011 718-1100 |
Builders Express Robindale | 011 793-6110 |
Builders Express Southgate | 010 594-0401 |
Builders Express Sunward Park | 010 596-6300 |
Builders Warehouse Bedworth Park | 016 985-3940 |
Builders Warehouse Boksburg | 011 897-0800 |
Builders Warehouse Cresta | 010 055-6267 |
Builders Warehouse Edenvale | 011 453-2935 |
Builders Warehouse Gleneagles | 011 432-1254 |
Builders Warehouse Kempton Park | 011 975-3008 |
Builders Warehouse New Market | 086 099-4181 |
Builders Warehouse Northriding | 011 462-5882 |
Builders Warehouse Rivonia | 011 803-2006 |
Builders Warehouse Strubens Valley | 011 679-4772 |
Mercury Build It | 087 807 9233 |
KWAZULU-NATAL
Independent Garden Centres
Blackwood’s Home of Gardening | 033 342-2191 |
Garden Pavilion Halls | 031 903-6737 |
Hingham Nursery | 031 564-3062 |
Illovo Nursery | 031 916-2491 |
Ludwig’s Star Roses | 081 380-8496 |
Plant Nursery | 031 466 5599 |
Sebenza Garden Centre | 039 312-0378 |
Urban Bloom Garden Centre | 036 352-2773 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Amanzimtoti | 031 904-7300 |
Builders Express Ballito | 032 947-2605 |
Builders Express Durban North | 031 940-0145 |
Builders Express Hillcrest | 031 765-7711 |
Builders Express Park Rynie | 039 976-1328 |
Builders Express Pietermaritzburg | 033 342-5410 |
Builders Express Pinetown | 086 099-4195 |
Builders Express South Coast | 039 315-0350 |
Builders Express Umhlanga | 031 566-3650 |
Builders Warehouse Newcastle | 086 000-8932 |
Builders Warehouse Richards Bay | 035 940-0600 |
Builders Warehouse Riverhorse | 086 000-8917 |
Builders Warehouse Rossborough | 031 941-1550 |
LIMPOPO
Independent Garden Centres
Greener Tidings | 082 908-7510 |
Hardekoolskroon Kwekery | 015 781-7952 |
Van Niekerk Kwekery | 015 291-1272 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Mokopane | 015 414-0011 |
Builders Express Thohoyandou | 015 414-0093 |
Builders Warehouse Polokwane | 086 000-8911 |
MPUMALANGA
Independent Garden Centres
Appelblaar Kwekery | 015 793-1596 |
Concrete & Garden Creations | 013 745-8386 |
Fever Tree Nursery | 013 755-6012 |
Garden Pavilion Montana | 013 741-4612 |
Garden Pavilion White River | 013 750-0719 |
Imbali Garden Centre | 013 235-0245 |
Ninfa Tuinsentrum | 013 243-5626 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Middelburg | 013 244-9900 |
Builders Warehouse Emalahleni | 013 697-7400 |
Builders Warehouse Nelspruit | 086 000-8910 |
Builders Warehouse Secunda | 017 200-0222 |
NORTH WEST
Independent Garden Centres
Bohme Plants | 076 382-3713 |
Clarks Tuinsentrum | 018 632-3542 |
Countryside Garden Centre | 082 596-2024 |
Garden Pavilion Potchefstroom | 018 290-6113 |
Geelhout Gardens | 014 597-4382 |
Sittig Nursery | 012 259-0900 |
The Aloe Farm | 071 162 6790 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Mafikeng | 018 382-3713 |
Builders Express Potchefstroom | 086 000-8990 |
Builders Warehouse Klerksdorp | 086 000-8930 |
Builders Warehouse Rustenburg | 086 028-4533 |
WESTERN CAPE
Independent Garden Centres
Cape Garden Centre | 021 988-4137 |
Cape Garden Centre Somerset West | 021 858-1157 |
Cape Garden Centre Stellenbosch | 021 855-0334 |
Ferndale Nurseries | 021 794-5175 |
Landscape Art Garden Centre | 083 380-1544 |
Ludwig Roses Winelands | 021 884-4552 |
Starke Ayres Garden Centre | 021 685-4120 |
Starke Ayres West Coast Village | 021 554 8450 |
Stodels Nurseries Bellville | 021 919-1106 |
Stodels Nurseries Bergvliet | 021 794-2221 |
Stodels Nurseries Kenilworth | 021 671-9050 |
Stodels Nurseries Milnerton | 021 528-4000 |
Stodels Nurseries Somerset West | 021 852-7400 |
Super Plants Tokai | 021 715-4666 |
Tulbagh Kwekery | 023 230-0694 |
Vredendal Kwekery | 027 213-2253 |
Home Stores
Builders Express Hermanus | 086 000 8965 |
Builders Express Kenilworth | 086 099-4187 |
Builders Express Knysna | 044 382-3055 |
Builders Express N1 City | 086 000-8988 |
Builders Express Paarl | 086 000-8943 |
Builders Express Stellenbosch | 086 099-4197 |
Builders Express Willowbridge | 086 099-4193 |
Builders Express Vredenburg | 086 000-8945 |
Builders Express Worcester | 086 000-8986 |
Builders Warehouse Cape Gate | 086 000-8925 |
Builders Warehouse City | 086 000-8921 |
Builders Warehouse Constantia Berg | 086 000-8919 |
Builders Warehouse George | 086 000-8929 |
Builders Warehouse Helderberg | 086 000-8922 |
Builders Warehouse Table View | 086 000-8924 |
Builders Warehouse Tygerberg | 086 000-8920 |