There was an enormous food hall and café, Christmas displays and even a kids play area
The garden centre in Speke (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO )
If you’re looking for a cheap day out that can please all members of the family from kids to grandparents, a garden centre can be a surprisingly good option. More than just a place for the green-thumbed, a good garden centre can be a way to easily spend a few pleasant hours browsing floral displays and sipping tea.
I visited one in Merseyside recently that takes the idea of a garden centre day out even further with an enormous food hall and café, Christmas displays and even a kids play area.
Stepping into the store I was immediately greeted with Christmas trees and the festive fun didn’t stop there with huge Halloween displays and a Christmas selfie display.
There were loads of gifts, decorations and festive displays (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO )
Clearly a kid friendly space, there were plenty of fun things to be found throughout the store too (even as an adult) and I spent a long time looking at the collection of fish in tanks and stopped again at a mesmerising Christmas scene display with moving parts including a tiny Ferris Wheel that span round.
Having expected just flowers and gardening goods, there was a lot more on offer including clothing with outdoor brands like Regatta as well as everyday wear – plus kids toys, games, books and Christmas decorations.
There was even a food shop selling Waitrose items and other household goods plus small electricals like kettles and toasters.
Plants in the outdoor section of Dobbies(Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO )
Heading toward the outdoor section I found myself walking through a huge food hall and café offering hot drinks, mouth-watering cakes and lunch options like cheese baguettes, soups and jacket potatoes. There were kids meals available too.
The seating area itself was enormous and round the corner from the tills it opened out into a large canteen style space where glass walls let the afternoon sun flood in.
For slightly warmer days there is the option to sit outside too.
Part of the huge café seating area in the 2pm sunshine (Image: Ray Bonsall/Liverpool ECHO)
If you’re with kids, there was a children’s play area and Dobbies also has a children’s club available called Little Seedlings.
Children must be supervised at all times in the play area but it does mean that families visiting can allow one person to supervise while another goes to shop for lawnmowers, soil, trellis and flowers or just takes an hour to enjoy a slice of cake and a mooch.
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