A POWYS garden centre is clearly reaping what it sows after picking up eight awards at a national competition.  

The Old Railway Line Garden Centre made it back-to-back success by picking up the ‘Best Destination Garden Centre in Wales and West’ at the annual Wales and West Area Garden Centre Association (GCA) Awards last month for the second year in a row.

As well as this prestigious top prize, the independently and family-run garden centre also collected another seven awards, which included ‘Best Customer Service’, ‘Best Garden Products Retailer’, ‘Catering Excellence’, ‘Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer’, ‘Environment and Sustainability Award’, ‘Ruxley Rose Award (Best Plant Area)’ and ‘Barton Grange Creativity & Innovation Award.’

Katie Eckley, the garden centre’s director of operations, said: “We are over the moon to have been awarded Best Destination Garden Centre in Wales and the West for the second year running.

“Having won Best Garden Centre in the Wales and West nine years running previously, it’s great to have been crowned winner of the top category for the past two years.

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“These awards are testament to our amazing, committed and hard-working team who fully embrace our values and ethos, including offering the best customer service possible.

“We love to create an enjoyable experience for visitors with something different around every corner. It’s an amazing achievement to be praised for our catering offering too, including our restaurant, tearoom and express takeaway option.”

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The GCA represents over 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The awards are decided by the results of the annual inspections, which take place at all GCA garden centres. Garden centres have no advance warning about when their inspection will take place and they do not have the option to turn away the inspector.

The Old Railway Line was established in 1990 by founders Mark and Christina Cleary. It provides customers with quality plants, gardening products, indoor and outdoor living goods, pet care products, giftware, and furniture.

The Old Railway Line is also home to a farm shop stocking products from over 60 local and Welsh suppliers and a 150-seater restaurant offering delicious home cooked food.