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Garden Centres - favourite ones? quirky ones?

(28 Posts)
Anne58 Sun 12-Jan-14 18:54:28

Ooops, forgot to convert!

www.homeleighonline.co.uk/

Anne58 Sun 12-Jan-14 18:53:22

That's novel Jess!

We have one like that not too far from us. http://www.homeleighonline.co.uk/ although I couldn't honestly say if they sold pregnancy tests, they seem to have everything else. It's become almost an outing destination, lots of coach parties seem to have a stop off there.

Mr P goes there to buy his tropical fish food (and the odd fish when budget allows) I always pop in to say hello to the macaw and have a browse round the home section. The display they put on at Christmas with moving polar bears, reindeer etc is wonderful, they also have a member of staff hidden away with a microphone, who chats to the children as they are going down the stairs into the Christmas department. The looks on some of their little faces is priceless!

Although the actual plant section seems to be a bit smaller than it used to be, I must say the staff are very knowledgeable, and some of them specialise in particular types of plants.

JessM Sun 12-Jan-14 18:41:47

Garden centres have become a destination not just a place to buy garden stuff. We used to live near a very extensive Frosts that had a lovely cafe and sold everything from chickens (multiply vaccinated) to toys.
Took a walk to my local garden centre yesterday (its near Menai Bridge). Not explored it since moving to area. One of those family-owned ones which has grown like Topsy. (always more of an adventure than a chain.)
Not a lot of outside space for actually selling plants it seems, but a busy cafe ("and take away" ?) and a bewildering range of merchandise in no particular logical layout. Rather fancied a pink mohair blanket but resisted woman-fully.
I eventually found my little bag of bulb fibre and then was brought up short when waiting at the till to note that alongside various toiletries (baby wipes, shampoo etc) they were selling pregnancy tests.