The best garden centres in London
With garden centres beginning to reopen across the city, here's where to bulk-buy blooms and spruce up your green space
N1 Garden Centre, Islington
Space is in short supply in our beloved but crowded city, which often leads to symptoms of concrete overload. N1 Garden Centre strives to help Londoners incorporate greenery into their lifestyles. This green emporium has a wide selection of indoor and outdoor plants and a large part of their offering is their expert horticulture knowledge. N1 also takes the brunt of the heavy lifting with its plant installation service, good news for those who like to reap the rewards without breaking a sweat.
Read more ...The Boma Garden Centre, Kentish Town
Boma is a beautiful, blooming garden centre with no shortage of colour. If you’ve never had a plant personal shopper before, then let Boma introduce you to its many perks. They also offer regular garden maintenance or one-off sprucing services. Check their online Boma Blog for news about their seasonal stocks.
Read more ...Alexandra Nurseries, Penge
Sustainable gardening is a big focus at this Penge garden centre. Alexandra Nurseries aims to promote a low-impact lifestyle by supporting local growers and never stocking quantities en mass. So if you want your herbs from Surrey, your perennials from Sussex or adorable homewares created by local craftspeople, this is the place to go.
Read more ...The Palace Gardener, Fulham
This southwest gem fulfils all your practical gardening needs by stocking everything from beguiling terrariums to lilliputian shrubs. If shopping starts to take its toll, take a seat in the centre's bright and spacious Glasshouse Café run by the Massarella family, who serve up homemade focaccias and healthy salads.
Read more ...Clifton Nurseries, Maida Vale
Clifton Nurseries is not only home to London's oldest garden centre – having supplied plants to Victorian nature-lovers in the 19th century – but within this lush enclosure wedged between two townhouses, you'll also find the Quince Tree Café and the Palm House, a glasshouse filled with exotic orchids.
Read more ...Rassels of Kensington
The sense of discovery is palpable when you pass Rassels' pot-filled interior through to the store's outdoor garden in a stunning Georgian square. Servicing the prosperous plant-lovers of Kensington since 1897, Rassels is now a picturesque heritage spot which caters to modern plant needs.
Read more ...Alleyn Park Garden Centre, West Dulwich
This London gem is giving rural garden centres a run for their money. Alleyn Park Garden Centre has made a name for itself as one of Britain's finest garden centres. It's stocked to the rafters with fruit trees, vegetable plants, and herbaceous perennials as well as handy tools, adorable bird-feeders and elegant firebowls.
Read more ...Camden Garden Centre
Community life is the heart and soul of this garden centre. It was originally founded to tackle the problem of youth unemployment in the area and it now also employs homeless people, ex-offenders and recovering addicts. This inspiring social enterprise also caters to all your gardening needs, from gorgeous outdoor furniture, to a plethora of pots from around the world and a cosy café upstairs.
Read more ...Battersea Flower Station
If you take a peek behind a florist stand on Battersea Park Road, you’ll discover a quaint pathway lined with fresh blooms and bunting. This space is oozing with charm, with a starry constellation of fairy lights, rusty wheelbarrows, and a wooden sign advertising ‘free garden advice’ to the less-green-fingered of us – all making you momentarily forget that you’re in the city.
Read more ...Petersham Nurseries, Richmond
Petersham Nurseries has led the way in creating a tranquil 'third place' and offering an experiential alternative to traditional garden centres. We love its natural gravel floor, its cornucopia of artisanal homewares and picturesque vistas of Richmond’s meadows. It’s also home to a cosy indoor café and a Michelin-starred restaurant, making it a destinations for foodies and plant aficionados alike.
Read more ...Wheelers Garden Centre Chiswick
This Chiswick florist not only creates opulent bouquets for every occasion, but also doubles up as a gloriously verdant garden centre packed with an impressive selection of plants, trees, bulbs and climbers and gorgeous vintage-looking ornaments to help you achieve that magical 'secret garden' effect.
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