THE TEAM at Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre is celebrating this week (July 15, 2010) after scooping five accolades in the horticultural industry’s Greatest Awards.

Staff from the Monkton Heathfield garden centre collected the awards at a Garden Party in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 13.

Andrew Pitman, Plant Manager at the family-run garden centre, who attended the Greatest Awards ceremony, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have picked up five awards. It is a real achievement.”

Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre was presented with a gold award for The Greatest Pets and Aquatics Team South West and silver awards for The Greatest Grow Your Own Promotion Idea, The Greatest Plant Sales Team South West and The Greatest Hard Landscaping Team.

During the Garden Party, staff also competed in and won a Garden Centre Challenge. They were required to answer a series of questions to demonstrate their horticultural knowledge.

Andrew continued: “It was the first time the Greatest Awards has hosted the Garden Centre Challenge so we’re thrilled to be the first store to scoop the prize. We were presented with a special Garden Retailing Award for Team Success for our efforts.”

The Greatest Awards are based on team work and people working together to achieve excellence. They are dedicated to finding the UK’s greatest garden centre teams.

Andrew added: “The awards recognise excellence and team work in individual garden centre departments. Nominations are made by our customers, suppliers or others in the trade who believe us to be the best.

“It’s a fantastic honour to pick up these awards and we’d like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who voted for us.”

For more information about Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre, which is located just off the A38 at Monkton Heathfield between Bridgwater and Taunton, please call 01823 412381.

Photograph caption: Staff at Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre celebrate picking up five awards at the 2010 Greatest Awards.