Green thumbs around Benalla will be more than aware of just how good Mitre 10's Garden Centre is, and now the rest of Australia knows as well.
The Independent Hardware Group, which supports the growth and viability of independently owned retailers across the hardware sector, recently awarded Benalla’s Mitre 10 with a special honour.
It won the Best Garden Centre in Australia Award for 2024.
Garden centre manager Karen Moloney said it was a big honour and a reflection of the hard work put in by staff members each and every day.
“We’ve won the state award before,” Ms Moloney said.
“But this is the big one, the national one.”
The hardware giant operates more than 400 stores across Australia, highlighting just how much the Benalla operation stands out.
“We were all very excited to hear that we’d won,” Ms Moloney said.
“It was very emotional, and we were not expecting to win.
“Everyone here is great. We’re a really good team, and we put a lot of hard work in to get the garden centre to where it is.
“We keep it tidy and have recently expanded the outdoor range.”
Ms Moloney said the store tries to have a good variety of plants, from indoor to outdoor and everything a person will need for a healthy veggie patch.
And it’s not just the plants. There is also a great range of potting mixes, soils and fertilisers. It also has pots, hanging baskets, hoses, fixtures and fittings.
The centre also has garden furniture, shade cloths and umbrellas.
Mitre 10, on Sydney Rd, is open daily from 7am to 5pm Monday-Friday and from 9am to 3pm on weekends.