Greener Tidings named best garden centre in South Africa

One of Polokwane nature lovers’ favourite oases, Greener Tidings Garden Centre has proven that it stands head and shoulders above other garden centres countrywide when they won six prestigious awards, including the Garden Centre Association of South Africa (GCA) 2017 Garden Centre of the Year Award as well as the Jimie Malan Floating Trophy for best garden centre.
The awards ceremony took place during a gala dinner at the South African Nursery Association’s (SANA) annual convention at the Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg recently. This year’s convention and Greener Tidings’ awards was made extra special by the fact that SANA is celebrating it’s 70th anniversary this year, while Greener Tidings is turning ten-years-old in August.
Lizzy and Lenie Altenroxel, owners of Greener Tidings attended the convention and received the awards, but make it very clear that the awards belonged to every employee of the garden centre. “We have to thank our amazing staff. Every person here is loyal, hard working and passionate about gardening. They love what they do and that makes all the difference. Every person who works here is involved in the practical side of the work, no matter what their job description. We are proud to have them on our team,” Lizzy said.
Lizzy dedicated the Best Garden Centre in South Africa award to her late father, Hub Altenroxel.
“My father was involved in the building of the garden centre and took great pains to ensure that every brick was properly treated and in place. During the building he fell ill and about three weeks after we opened the centre, we brought him here in a wheelchair to show him around. That day he told me that I would one day own the best garden centre in the country. He passed away four weeks later, but his prediction came true this year,” she said.
Lizzy also had a special word of thanks for her partner, Lenie. “Lenie is in charge of our factory where we make pots, fountains, stepping stones and wire art. She also takes care of the financial side of the business. Without her input our success would not be possible.”
The couple emphasised their gratefulness toward their customers, saying that they grew into the successful garden centre that they are today because customers drive them to excel every day. “We aim to please and give our customers what they want. This sets Greener Tidings apart from most garden centres,” Lizzy said.
The story of Greener Tidings
Greener Tidings Garden Centre has been a yardstick which gardeners, landscapers and garden lovers from all over Limpopo have been using for inspiration and information on how to make the best of green spaces for the past ten years.
The business started out in 2006 as a landscaping company, but retail has always been Lizzy’s passion and soon she itched to start a garden centre. In 2007 she opened the Greener Tidings Garden Centre at The Farmyard and began a journey that would lead to the garden centre being named best in South Africa ten years later.
“The name came to me when I was in my final year as Horticulture student at the then Pretoria Technicon. We had to design a complete garden centre and Greener Tidings just popped into my head. I knew then that I would one day own a garden centre called Greener Tidings,” Lizzy says.
The Altenroxels thanked their families for their unwavering support and said the love that they received from their nearest and dearest made it possible for them to follow their dreams.
Although Greener Tidings is primarily a nursery, the team is also involved in educating the public on the correct ways of efficient and environmentally friendly gardening, focussing on saving water and recycling.
Winning the awards
Lizzy explained that the judging for the SANA and GCA award is very thorough. Every year two judges are appointed and they visit the participating garden centres without prior notice.
This year the judges were David Viljoen, celebrity landscape designer, and Marie Cloete, gardening specialist.
The judging is done according to a very detailed check list.
“They even judge you on the type of toilet paper in the public bathrooms,” Lizzy said.
Six months after the original judging a moderator, Arthur Meneke, visited Greener Tidings to ensure that standards are being kept up and that the points awarded are fair.
At the gala dinner during the SANA convention, all participating centres were categorised into four groups namely bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Greener Tidings was one of only four garden centre who were awarded platinum status and only centres who have achieved platinum status are considered for the Garden Centre of the Year Award.
All awards are conferred according to the judges’ points system, but the South African Nursery Association 2017 Retailer of the Year is voted on by suppliers.
“It was an amazing night and we were overjoyed to win the top award. It is something that our whole team has been working towards for the past six years and we could not be happier,” Lizzy concludes.

Greener Tidings Garden Centre won the following top awards:
• Garden Centre’s Association of South Africa 2017 Garden Centre of the Year Award
• Garden Centre’s Association of South Africa 2017 Platinum Award
• Garden Centre’s Association of South Africa 2017 Best in Limpopo Award
• Garden Centre’s Association of South Africa 2017 Best Inspirational Display Award
• Garden Centre’s Association of South Africa 2017 Best General Display Award
• South African Nursery Association 2017 Retailer of the Year in Limpopo Award

Story and photos: MARKI FRANKEN
>>marki.observer@gmail.com