There are not many couples who can say their shared passion drives two businesses and a lifestyle block, but for Blair and Tina Robertson, gardening is less a hobby and more a way of life.

Blair and Tina Robertson are in the element at Mitre 10 Mega’s Garden Centre.

The pair manage the garden centre at Tāupō's Mitre 10 MEGA, a role they have held since the store opened.

They have won the Mitre 10 Garden Centre of the Year award five times, including three consecutive wins in the last three years.

While everything has been coming up roses for the pair in the awards, there is a serious business focus to the whole thing.

In addition to presentation, it is judged on things like financial performance, stock control, inventory management and customer service, alongside detailed business planning.

"We've won it five times, and we've won it three times in a row, which has never been done before, which is kind of cool," Blair says.

Tina says the wider team is key to success.

"We've got a very good team and a lot of them have been around for a long time, so they know what's needed."

Blair says you are not going to win Garden Centre of the Year unless you put the effort in right through the whole year.

He estimates they sell close to 300,000 units of green goods each year, but the department extends beyond that to plant care products, décor, and hardware, including several aisles inside the main store.

A planned retail expansion will add even more garden products aisles in the main store.

Running a garden centre in Tāupō comes with particular challenges because of its elevation. The climate is different from much of the North Island and resembles the South Island — which shapes every stocking decision they make.

Auckland stores hold a lot of tropical plants that couldn’t survive in Taupō year-round.

“They'll go well through the summer but, come winter, no chance."

That said, they do cater to Taupō's more experienced gardeners, who know how to work with the climate — using greenhouses, sheltered spots, and established plantings to extend the growing season and push the boundaries of what is possible locally.

Stocking decisions are also shaped by trends. Staying on top of what gardeners want and what sells is an ongoing process.

Considerable effort goes into displays too.

"It's almost like theatre for customers when they come in — to inspire them and get some good ideas, and then they feel confident with the advice they get to run through and get the right thing for their garden," Blair says.

Finding staff with genuine horticultural knowledge is harder than it sounds. Rather than holding out for experts, the Robertsons have found it more practical to hire people with strong retail instincts and a willingness to learn.

The couple also run a small landscaping business together and are gradually converting the paddocks on their lifestyle block into native bush, gardens, and landscaped areas.

"It's only time and money and we have little enough of both at the moment … But it's something that we do enjoy."

Tina says she would never want to work indoors, although winters in the garden centre can get a bit chilly.

Tina says Blair is "very competitive" when it comes to the awards and Blair agrees, saying it shows they are passionate about delivering good service to customers.