The most magical garden centres to visit this Christmas

Nights are starting to draw in across the UK and you can feel the countryside settling down for winter. Our wildlife is starting to find cosy spots to tuck itself away for the months ahead and our gardens are going quiet. But while things may be slowing down, a familiar sparkle has started to fill the air. Across the country, Christmas trees are appearing in family homes, children are starting to write their wish lists and kitchens are beginning to hum with plans for festive feasts.

With the countdown to the 25th of December well underway, it’s the perfect time to soak up the magic of the season. To help you feel inspired, we have gathered some of the most enchanting garden centres you can visit during the festive season.

How we conducted our research

To find out which garden centres are truly the most magical at Christmas, we began by scouring thousands of garden centres across England and Scotland, sourcing only those with a rating of 4 stars or higher on Google Maps. We then looked at garden centres offering magical displays, festive lunches, visits from the big man himself and even special events for pups (as let’s be honest, they are firmly part of the family, too).

Each garden centre has been given a ‘total festive appeal score’ and ranked accordingly by region. You might notice that garden centres appear in the same rank, which is due to having the same festive appeal score. Some areas are ranked up to the top 10, others lower than this as we have made sure to only rank those that are truly going above and beyond. Where do you think your local garden centre ranks on our list?

Scotland

From festive lunches to Christmas wreath masterclasses, the opportunity to have breakfast with Santa and even a festive fairground, Scotland’s garden centres are truly setting the bar this year for magical experiences the whole family can enjoy. What’s more, Garden Wise Garden Centre in Dumfries, Homegrown Garden Centre in Glasgow, and Pentland Plants in Loanhead are offering festive events for dogs. So, when they say the whole family, they really do mean it

Our Thurston Manor Holiday Park is just an eight minute drive to Dunbar Garden Centre, which ranks third on our list. If you pop by the Dunbar Garden Centre while visiting us, please do let us know what you think.

Northern England

17 garden centres across the north of England rank within our top 10 for truly going the extra mile this festive season. Drop by for a mosey around their magical festive displays and watch your little one’s eyes light up.

From our research, all garden centres in our ranking are offering a festive menu, whether that be a festive afternoon tea or a traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings. If you are keeping an eye on your festive spending, Dean’s York Garden Centre offers the most affordable mug of hot chocolate we could identify, priced at just £3.49.

Berwick Garden Centre is just a short 25 minute drive away from our Riverside Leisure Park and is well worth adding to your itinerary if you are visiting us over the holidays.

The Midlands

Across the Midlands, 18 garden centres feature in our top list for their work going above and beyond. In Kettering, Bosworth’s Garden Centre is delighting visitors with a magical sleigh VR ride, promising an ‘unforgettable experience’ that blends cutting-edge virtual reality with the charm of a traditional festive sleigh journey.

Over at Dobbie’s Garden Centre in Shenstone, families can enjoy dedicated quieter events – perfect for little ones who prefer a more relaxed visit. Dobbie’s Shenstone is also offering wreath-making workshops, afternoon tea events, and even breakfast with Santa.

East of England

The East of England has a whopping 21 garden centres making it within the top 10 for total festive appeal. Head over to Thetford Garden Centre and you’ll find everything from Santa’s Grotto to Supper with Santa or even their ‘Santa Paws’ event where pups can meet the big man and snap a festive portrait.

Baytree Garden Centre in Spalding, on the other hand, have been working non-stop to host their annual Christmas market. This year, the team at Baytree has promised that the market will be ‘bigger than ever,’ featuring everything from a festive fayre to food stalls and gifts.

South East England

In the South East, 17 garden centres have made it into the top 10. Fairweather’s Garden Centre in Cadnam is an independent, family-run business that has served customers in the local area for the last 60 years. This Christmas, they are serving a delicious festive lunch with all the trimmings, as well as hosting tea with Santa, Christmas crafts and a Christmas trail.

Over in Lymington, Otter Nurseries have transformed their Christmas gardens into a magical wonderland, which is well worth a visit. From 17th Dec to 23rd Dec, you can join them for their ‘Festive Adventure’ event, which will raise funds for Hospiscare. Last year, they raised an incredible £23,000 from this event and are hoping to exceed this target for 2025.

South West England

South West England has an abundance of garden centres offering wonderful experiences this Christmas. St John’s Garden Centre in Barnstaple (which is just a 33 minute drive away from our Golden Coast Holiday Park, should you be planning a trip) is offering everything from a ‘Winter JungleLand’ to their renowned Santa’s Grotto.

Over at Merry Harriers Garden Centre in Bideford, you can book into their Christmas Craft Fayre and even ride a donkey (just make sure to check the weather before arriving, as this can affect availability).

We caught up with our CEO, Mike Wilmot who had the following to say about this research:

“Garden centres are a much-loved British institution. There’s nothing more Christmassy than a visit to your local garden centre over the festive season, and it’s amazing to see so many identified in our research as ones that are truly making an effort to provide magical family experiences. It’s clear that these destinations play a big role in bringing communities together at this time of year, whether that’s through festive food, creative workshops or the simple joy of exploring their displays. We’re delighted to shine a light on the places going the extra mile to make Christmas feel special for everyone.”

Methodology

• We identified garden centres rated four stars and above across Scotland and England using Google Maps.
• We carried out desk research on all garden centres, reviewing each of their websites, social media, customer reviews and any media coverage to understand their festive offering.
• Each festive activity or feature was given a total festive appeal score, and centres have then ranked based on their overall score.