Squire’s Garden Centre

My favourite garden centre ever, they always have everything I want and have such a great range of products

The Harrods of Garden Centres.
This is site where the chain was founded and still one of the best in the Group. Its very popular with a high turnover of plants so you rarely find anything pot bound. There is a reasonably good selection of plants though it does tend to sell out quickly of vegetable seedlings and the range of big shrubs is limited.
However, it can be a bit on the pricey side. The pricing seems geared to people only buying one plant. If you are buying a lot of shrubs I would recommend taking the trouble to visit Wyvale Garden Centre located nearby in Sion House, Isleworth (12 — 15 min by car) as there plants are about 25% cheaper.
The Café
The have just refurbished the café /​brasserie though its priced at restaurant levels so check the menu first or you may get a surprize at the till.
The real downside though is the bad parents who selfishly allow their screaming toddlers to run amok. At times you cant hear yourself think for all the running around and screaming going on. In my mind — if you misbehave in a restaurant you should be asked to leave. The management need to put there foot down as many of my friends refuse to go there as we have all had meals out ruined there because of it.

My mum and I go here a couple of times a month. They have a good selection of plants and the gift shop is lovely. The café is ok if a little over priced!!! They do have outside seating area which is nice. The staff are lovely.

There are other Squires outlets, but for me the Twickenham branch, is a haven. When I was working on a project, there were three places I would go to check on their stock, and this was my first preference, though I would always save it as the last visit.
Many garden centres have gone downhill and don’t really take pride in their establishment, or worse are not knowledgeable on what they are selling. The plants they sell look as if they have met the patched and over frazzled soft shell crab from my other review.
Not so here, and it is no surprise that this particular place has won various awards for its design layout. This for me is important since they have created an atmosphere that for me just leaves you to feel content and think freely.
Yes there is the usual eating section which I never go to and pets corner, though I did find a use for bundles of straw and bugs bunny had long since taken a vacation.
There is a good selection of gardening implements, fertilisers and growers, I am sure Percy Thrower would have been in his element.
Once you have managed to pass the piles of soil, only you don’t because there are so many different kinds, your uncertain which one to choose and then you notice… oooh 3 for the price of 2… where’s the trolly out of my way and you ignore the caution not to lift heavy objects on your own because you just want that bargain. and then oh dear you are already over loaded and you have not yet got to the plant section… and then you wield and guide and grunt and push… no don’t worry this is still the same review… and you gaze in amazement at the symphony of colour. I need more time.
So back you go with the soil and you return at a later date…20 mins later you just dashed at .the pace of a snail ;)
For me the time to visit this branch is early Spring, March, for they have a collection of Rhododendrons, Camellias, Magnolias, Azaleas and Acers that is second to none. I can’t say if they will this year but last year they went that little bit extra and created a Japanese theme to complement it, It was then easy to get engrossed or yes I confess drool at a particular plant, and then imagining where I was going to plant it and how it would blend in with the rest of the garden, .I would often get carried away and wonder what it would be like once it had fully matured. However, there will be no admissions of talking to plants or passing complements of beauty on its fauna.
In the excitement of finding the right specimen and having giving it a thorough examination i might frequently get drawn to another… no honestly my feelings for you have not wained .let me introduce you to… well okay it passes the time.
I should point out that they don’t just do Japanese plants, that is my particular choice, they have a wide variety and it is a large outlet.
There are also two areas where you can obtain information. .and when you completed your purchase they will if need be load your car up.
It has been a while but I feel a visit to this place coming on.

Squires are a very popular garden centre, which is busy all year round.
The high number of visitors means most of the stock is very fresh and not root bound. This makes a big difference as the quality is so much better and there plants tend to get off to a much better start once planted in the garden.
They also have properly trained staff on hand to give plant advise — which probably accounts for why they are so popular.
The downside is it’s not the cheapest of garden centres — some of the bedding plants are almost double what you would pay in a DIY centre. Also the range of shrubs is a bit limited.
If it was a restaurant it would have 3 Michelin stars — worth a long journey just to visit.

Very good garden centre, particularly good range of plants, best for some miles, reliable advice and information.
Along with large selections of garden furniture, pots, gifts etc.
Good coffeeshop/​restaurant.