The BC Landscape & Nursery Association (BCLNA) has named Jeff O’Brien, MBA, founder of Brands in Blooms, as its 2025 Educator of the Year. The award honours an individual who goes above and beyond to educate both the horticulture industry and the public about the value of plants and gardening.
“This award means so much to me because it represents the community I love serving,” said O’Brien. “At 40, with the unwavering support and sacrifice of my wife, three kids, and my business partner, I stepped into entrepreneurship to give everything I have to garden centres. I share this honour with them and with every garden centre owner who works tirelessly so others can discover the joy of plants and the magic of gardening.”
Jeff’s career has been rooted in education from the start. His MBA dissertation on consumer behaviour in the independent garden centre channel inspired the launch of Brands in Blooms and the creation of the Next-Gen Masterclass, which has already equipped more than 400 garden centres across North America to attract and retain the emerging generation of gardeners. Building on this foundation, Jeff and his team have also developed technology built specifically for garden centres — a CRM that manages marketing across email, text, and social through an educational storytelling framework, and a website and e-commerce platform designed to help retailers profit from one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry.
O’Brien was honoured during the BCLNA Garden Party & Member Awards on September 11, 2025, at Locality Brewing in Langley, BC.
About Brands in Blooms:
Brands in Blooms helps independent garden centres thrive through research-driven education, innovative technology, and strategic training. Its tools include the Next-Gen Masterclass, a storytelling-based CRM called BloomSuite that has a website and e-commerce function built to connect garden centres with today’s consumer.
For more information, visit www.brandsinblooms.com.