GCA releases 97th new GROW course
The Garden Centre Association (GCA) has launched its 97th Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) course, this time focused on herbaceous plants. Available now to GCA and Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) members, the new course is designed to support plant area teams with expert training.
Antony Snow, GROW’s Instructional Designer, said: “Herbaceous plants are hugely popular and make up a significant portion of plant area sales. This course gives garden centre staff the knowledge and confidence to inspire their customers and boost sales.”
GROW offers over 90 online courses covering horticulture, customer service, food safety, health and safety, and more. All are written by experts and tailored to garden centre environments. With over 12,000 users nationwide, the platform is available 24/7, providing flexible and cost-effective staff development.
GCA CEO Peter Burks describes GROW as “an essential training tool” for members. “It’s ideal for use at any time, and we encourage teams to explore its many valuable courses,” he said. More information is available at www.gca.org.uk/gca-grow-information, or by contacting grow@gca.org.uk.
GROW is a non-profit, self-funding initiative created to bring industry-specific training to garden centre employees. Surpluses are reinvested to improve and expand the platform’s content and usability.
The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres and supports members through training, inspections, and awards. Tickets for the 2026 GCA Annual Conference are now on sale via www.gca.org.uk or gca.digitickets.co.uk.