There’s nothing like a trip to the garden centre to liven up your weekend, so in this blog, we’ll show you our top four, including how much time it takes to drive there from our caravan park in Lancashire, whether there’s a café and what else you can do in the area to enjoy yourself for an afternoon.
Our number one favourite is, of course, Hayes Garden World in Ambleside. This magnificent garden centre is one of the largest in the North West, and it’s more than just a garden centre - it’s a community.
Hayes Garden Centre regularly hosts fun events that bring people together. At the time of writing this, some upcoming examples include a fabulous Fireworks Night & Late-night Shopping on November 4th, but there is also a Create Your Own Christmas Wreath on December 4th.
Hayes is well known for its love of Christmas and decoration, so a visit to this garden centre in the festive season is a must. Their Christmas Maze is a spectacular annual event, open on specific dates between November 2nd to December 23rd. Check their website for more precise information regarding their dates, times and prices.
If you want to treat a child in your family who has special needs, such as autism, then Hayes is setting aside time slots on December 3rd, which are more disability-friendly. They recommend that you book in advance for setting one of these meetings.
This garden centre also has a large restaurant for you to take a break from shopping or meet friends for lunch. The drive from our park to Hayes Garden World will take the better part of an hour, but you can stop in Kendal on the way for a break from driving if you need to, and the experience is well worth the effort.
Carr Bank garden centre is best suited to a visit during good weather since its primary attractions are outside. The premises look fantastic in sun or snow, but you might feel a little disappointed if you visit on a rainy day.
Carr Bank specialises in sheds, summerhouses, hot tubs and greenhouses, and almost anything else you can think of that is typically made of wood and lives in your garden. They also sell an abundance of pet supplies, plant pots, stoneware and composts and have attended an event for BBC Countryfile Live this year.
Carr Bank in Milnthorpe is only a half-hour drive from our caravan park and is open every day 9-5 except Sunday when it is open 10-4.
Grange is a lovely place to visit any day; abundant with quaint cafés and a sea view you wouldn’t need to visit the garden centre to have a fabulous day out there. One thing to bear in mind when visiting Grange is that it can be quite hilly in areas, so you might want to bring a companion if you aren’t steady on your feet.
The Grange Plant Centre is open every day except Sunday from 9-5 and takes a little over half an hour to drive there. At the plant centre, you can find house plants, garden plants, pots, fruit trees and anything else you can think of related to the art of gardening. Although the centre itself doesn’t have a café, there are plenty nearby; we recommend the At Home Café & Bistro, situated on the promenade.
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The Inglefield nursery is quaint but filled with beautiful plants for you to buy and exquisite pots for you to put them in. If you have a serious question about landscaping your garden with plants then this is where you should go to ask it. Inglefield Plants LTD has a real interest in architectural plants with strong shapes and colours so they can help you to decide which of their wide variety will best suit your needs.
Located in the quiet village of Staveley near Windermere, the drive to Inglefield Plants will take you between 30 minutes and 45 minutes, depending on your route. Staveley contains a few small cafés. Including the Antiques & Eclec Café which combines shopping and dining experiences, but your proximity to Windermere means that you wouldn’t have far to go to enjoy the best of Windermere’s eateries either.
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What a beautiful morning! #nofilter #lakedistrictlife #lakedistrictuk #lovewhereilive #ilovestaveley
These are our four favourite garden centres near our holiday accommodation, but there are many more in the surrounding area to keep you entertained such as the Woodlands Garden Centre in Crooklands, or the Greenlands Farm Village Centre. There is plenty for you to explore and enjoy from our South Lakes Caravan Park, so why not speak to us about sorting your holiday accommodation with us soon?
