Last week, I had lunch with Home & Garden Showplace‘s new director, Sue Amatangelo. We go way back — as way back as I can go with people having been in the industry for just shy of three years; we met in November 2007 on my first-ever GCA Holiday Tour. (Oh, the memories!)
We talked a bit about my upcoming trip to the United Kingdom, and she asked if I’d be visiting any garden centers when I was over there. I honestly hadn’t thought about it and wasn’t sure I’d have time… But Sue used to work for Ball Horticultural and knew someone who might be able to offer some recommendations of great garden centers in England.
I got in touch with Bill Doeckel, who then got in touch with one of his colleagues at Ball Colegrave. Here’s what I got back:
Garden centers near London
Hi Paige,
The recommendations below are from a colleague of mine who works for Ball Colegrave in the UK> He knows the independent garden centre business well so you can be sure these are highly rated centres. His contact info is below should you need it.
South of London
Squires Garden Centre
Sixth Cross Road
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW2 5PA
Tel: 020 8977 9988
Ruxley Manor Garden Centre
Maidstone Road
Sidcup
Kent
DA14 5BQ
Tel: 020 8300 0084
Coolings Nurseries
Rushmore Hill
Knockholt
Nr Sevenoaks
Kent
TN14 7NN
Tel: 01959 532269
North of London
Aylett Nurseries Ltd
North Orbital Road
St. Albans
Hertfordshire
AL2 1DH
Tel: 01727 822255
The Van Hage Garden Company
Chenies
Nr. Rickmansworth
Hertfordshire
WD3 6EN
Tel: 01494 764545
What do you think?
Can you recommend any other stellar garden centers in or around London? Or, if you’re not as horticulturally inclined, are there any amazing general retail operations in the U.K. that are worth a look? I’ll definitely be stopping at Harrods, but I can’t say that will be a professional endeavor…
Please leave a comment and let me know what your London (or Edinburgh) looks like!
