Where's your favourite garden centre

[langlandgirl2]

I'm about to start buying plants and bits for the garden. Just wondering where the favourite garden centres are around the UK. Planning a little plant hunting road trip!

Don't use b&q!! Their plants are utter crap and die quickly due to lack of care at the shop!! Homebase have a great selection and aren't too expensive. However, we have a small independent one here and it is far better value than large chains and the plants are fab because they are tended properly. See if you have any farm shops or independent ones nearby 👍👍

I have two favourites for utterly different reasons.

I love St Margaret's Nursery near Fareham, which is relatively small but excellent value and their plants always do really well. It's just a series of greenhouses but the baskets they do are fabulous and often come back for a second or third year with no love or attention over winter. They specialise in fuschias and other hanging plants.

I love Ruxley Manor Garden Centre bear Sidcup. It's a massive garden centre with a deli, restaurant, chickens, homewares, furniture, garden decor. They have events like fairy day for the kids, ice rink at Christmas. In the same estate there's a shed and hot tub place, a barbers. You can spend half a day there easily. It is a little overpriced but has everything. Again their plants always do well and they have a good variety.

I wouldn't travel far for either (one is near my home, one near my mum). But I would recommend them if they're convenient.

THe best plants come from nurseries rather than garden centres
"The Plant Finder" is your friend

Waterperry Gardens near Wheatley/Oxford. It's a horticultural college with glorious old mature gardens and a small museum, but more importantly with knowledgeable staff and a great selection of strong, reasonably priced indoor and outdoor plants.

I came on to say Ruxley manor, but someone got there first. I also love the garden centre in Bushmills, Co Antrim. You can't beat a garden centre with a good cafe!

Otter nurseries in Devon - it's a day out kind of destination.

Hawgrips Nursery, Enderby Leics. brilliant place, all plant focussed with wonderful plug plants for brining on in your own greenhouse. I’m reluctant to share this!
Also The Plant Man at Braybrooke, Leics. again a nursery, with no ‘Tat’.

*bringing - of course !

Haskins is lovely but very expensive
Wyvale is my go to for reduced corner of doom stuff. I have managed to buy quite a few expensive plants for a couple of pound each and all they need is a bit of tender loving care to give them a new lease of life.
The likes of b&q and home base are not garden centres. Ok to use if you are looking for some bog standard plant and know a little bit about what you are looking at but they don’t have the knowledge or plant selections of a garden centre. They are better value for things like compost, tools and feeds and basic bedding plants tend to be ok.

I’ve got a few good Garden centres near me but Morrison’s supermarket is my favourite! They have large selection in Spring/Summer, have got some fabulous bargains are really filled up my garden.

That is true @ASDismynormality Morrison's have provided me with some lovely plants over the years!

Bents is fabulous.
Also my two local ones. Newbank and summerseat

The Duchy of Cornwall Nursery near Lostwithiel. The views! The restaurant! Oh my!

Hmmm,
What is it you look for in a garden centre ?
I look for excellent local plants that will grow well.

Restaurants and views are just excuses to increase prices

Barton Grange near Garstang Lancs. Also agree with Bents and Newbank .

Bents - One near culceth Warrington if you are in the NW. Great plants selection.

The plant centre at RHS Wisley was unbelievable, all the plants I'd dreamed about for my garden were there, the staff are extremely knowledgeable and the plants very reliable (also when bought from RHS website).

Wyevale is a rip off btw, although their plants are good quality they are about x3 what they should cost imo.

Like others we've had fantastic bargains in Wyevale, last year I found a eucalyptus tree, that's over 2 metres tall for just £7 I also bought 3 cherry blossom type trees, all marked at half price then further reduced. I got 7 red robin photinias cheaper than anywhere else when they were doing 30% of specimin plants ooooh and some acers as well, one from £80 down to £30. If you know what you are looking for there are some great bargains to be had.
A place I have found for fantastic inspiration is the Olive Grove in Oundle near Peterborough. If you are looking for instant impact plants, much larger than I've been able to buy online anywhere. It is not cheap, but the staff are fantastic. My husband wanted an olive tree, we had a budget, knew the style we wanted and out of the what feels like hundreds the guy walked us to 3 that fitted our brief perfectly. Couldnt quite stretch to one of the palms we fell in love with as that was around £900!! There really are some showstoppers in excess of £2k but my god, they would look fabulous in my garden!