Garden Training Platform Hits 100 Courses in 12 Years

Garden centers across the UK now have a powerful new tool to help customers make better choices for their yards and the planet.

The Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) just released its 100th training course, marking a major milestone for the award-winning platform. Launched in May 2026, the new course focuses on basic tree knowledge and is available to more than 12,000 garden center staff nationwide.

GROW started small in 2014 with just 10 courses after the Garden Centre Association realized their industry needed specialized training. Now, 12 years later, the platform has grown tenfold while remaining a self-funded, not-for-profit service.

The timing couldn't be better. Trees are making headlines for their role in fighting climate change and boosting mental health, and garden center customers want expert advice on choosing the right ones.

"Choosing the right tree isn't as simple as picking one that will look good in the garden," says Antony Snow, GROW's Instructional Designer. The new course helps staff understand how different trees grow and what care they need to stay healthy.

Every course on the platform comes from real expertise within member garden centers. Staff who work with plants and customers daily contribute their knowledge, making the training practical and relevant.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches far beyond garden center aisles. When staff learn to guide customers toward the right trees for their specific conditions, those trees are more likely to thrive for decades.

Healthy trees mean cleaner air, cooler neighborhoods, and wildlife habitat. They also mean happier homeowners who feel confident in their choices and come back for more advice.

The platform covers everything from customer service to food safety, but horticultural courses like the new tree training draw on years of hands-on experience from GCA members. That real-world knowledge gets passed directly to customers who need it.

GCA Chief Executive Peter Burks points out that every person can make a real difference through informed tree choices. When 12,000 trained staff help thousands of customers each, that ripple grows into a wave.

Garden centers that invest in training their teams are building more than knowledge; they're growing confidence and creating connections that keep communities green and thriving for generations.