Visit to Planters Garden Centre

I’m looking for more Project Garden inspiration everywhere! We’ve been to 3 local garden centres in the last week alone, and I’ve been making notes of anything that I’m loving for our garden. The children are enjoying it, as 2 out of the 3 we’ve been to have had animals and fish to look at, and a play area. My favourite of the 3 has been Planters Garden Centre, in Tamworth, Staffordshire. If you’re local to this one, I’d definitely recommend a visit. Firstly, because the children’s play area is brilliant – a little fort with a slide, a sandpit, and a Sky Trail for older children. Secondly, because the animals and aquatic centre are great for a nosey round. I did a little more chicken research, and Little Man was mesmerised by the rabbits hopping about. Now, in the interests of full disclosure, I am a little biased where the aquatics are concerned because my brother works for Ripples Waterlife, though not this particular branch, and that isn’t why I’m twittering on about it! I’m twittering on because the third, and main reason that I’d rate it above the others that we’ve been to, are the plants themselves. They were fully stocked, blooming, so healthy and well-tended, and the displays were beautiful, eye-catching and informative. There were lots of fact-sheets dotted about, really helpful for novice gardeners like myself, and plants grouped into pretty displays such as a butterfly-attracting garden, alpine gardens, and so forth.  I’ll let the plants speak for themselves..

butterfly attracting

roof

And so many gorgeous dahlias

dahlia

 

It was really lovely, wandering through the aisles, being assailed by so many different scents, and adding to my Project Garden wishlist! From this particular visit, I now know that I’d like Agapanthus Midnight Star…

agapanthus

..a herb garden like this…

herb display

..and we can have a pond in our wildlife garden – hooray! I’d wanted one, as I loved ours when we were younger, watching the frog spawn hatch and tadpoles take shape, the floating water boatmen and sticklebacks swimming about. I was just nervous of committing to a pond with the children playing out there, and then there’s the hassle of digging one out, and then if need be, filling one in. But then I spotted the Velda Trendy Pond, and problem solved.

velda trendy pond

 

It’s perfect! They come in different colours, but I like the green, and I’ll nestle it in amongst the plants. I think the children will love it, and it adds an extra aspect to the wildlife garden, and more opportunities for them to enjoy and learn from it.

Who else has a pond? Be great to hear how it gets filled up with wildlife.

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16 thoughts on “Visit to Planters Garden Centre”

  1. Looks like a good garden centre! I love Agapanthus but have never had one in the garden. The plants do get rather huge but the flowers are just stunning. I had a pond in my previous garden and next year a pond will be put into our current one. The old one was teaming with wildlife it was fabulous. The wildlife just finds it! Always exciting to see dragonflys bobbing about and laying their eggs!!

    1. It is great there – really enjoyed it. I didn’t even pay attention to the Agapanthus plants, as I was just drawn to the flowers! Dragonflies would be lovely, and I know what you mean about them being drawn to it – Boo had her paddling pool out overnight and we found a frog in it the next day – they just sense that water!

  2. Ooo check out that pond! That’s really neat, I may have to look into them too.
    I must admit I love pottering around garden centres, they are just the best place for inspiration and good advice. I really like the look of all those alpines together.Hmmm… now I could take the kids to our local one tomorrow morning…

    Look what you have done now! 😉 Thanks ever so much for joining in and sharing – now off to look at trendy ponds!

    1. I love it! I instantly knew that I ‘needed’ one when I saw it 🙂 Glad to have inspired a little trip out to a garden centre, too! Thanks for hosting this brilliant linky 🙂

  3. Oh that pond is just awesome. We have a little stream that runs right along the edge of our garden and then disappears underground, it has a bit of a pond, but to be honest we’ve kind of left it to itself as all sorts of silage and things from the farmers field ends up in it with the way the land lies. We spent weeks digging it out and trying to fix it up when we first moved in, only for the rain to ruin it a few days later, it’s one of those losing battles. That one looks fabulous though. The midnight Agapanthus is so beautiful.

    1. What a shame that you couldn’t make it work for you, when it’s right there. Sounds really frustrating. Perhaps just get a little trendy pond instead!

  4. I love a trip to the garden centre. That one sounds fab. I’d love a garden centre that grouped plants like that. Last week we needed to buy plants that would thrive in deep shade and it took ages going round and round checking label after label.
    That dahlia is gorgeous 🙂

    1. I was so impressed with the way they had it all arranged. Didn’t need to buy anything on this occasion, but this is now my garden centre of choice so will be returning there regularly as and when I need to make Project Garden purchases 🙂

  5. I love visiting the garden centre especially if they are like this one where a lot of effort has been put into display. I love those little ponds, going to make a note of them for next year.

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