It’s hard to beat a combination of light shopping and greenery for a gentle and enjoyable day out with older people, so try these garden centres in North Norfolk.
Whether rain or shine, garden centres are one of the best places in the UK to spend some quality and relaxing time. There’s enough going on to keep anyone with even the smallest interest in the outdoors alert and interested, these places generally lack the urgent hustle and bustle of conventional shopping centres or department stores which also makes them ideal when you want to get out and have a potter around somewhere a bit calmer and quieter.
A lot of older people like to get into gardening, whether just a succulent or two in a pot on the windowsill or full-on planting and growing your own fruit and veg, so taking seniors out to a local garden centre in North Norfolk can be a lovely outing with something for everyone to enjoy.
Just off the A1065, along Mill Road, Fakenham Garden Centre is situated right between Hempton and Fakenhamtown centre. Founded in 1985, this garden centre is a traditionally family run business that aims to provide everything you could possibly need for your garden, no matter what you’re looking for. Known for their premium plants and products, their friendly team are very knowledgeable and strive to give the very best in expert advice should you have any questions.
There is a wonderful coffee shop on-site, serving delicious home baked goods, breakfasts, light lunches, and main meals, open 7 days a week, so you can take a break from your shopping for a quick bite to eat, and take your time to relax and really live in the moment. The range of options to explore is staggering, not only do they have all the plants you could need for your garden, but also necessities and treats for your pets from fish to cats and dogs, garden furniture, barbeques, and a landscaping design service too. Get the garden you want all in one place.
A warm welcome awaits at the Holt Garden Centre, propped on Holgate Hill in Kelling, only a few miles away from the North Norfolk Railway – Holt Station. With everything from garden buildings to home & gifts, things for your pets and a range of clothing, there is also a wonderful food hall and their really cool Select and Collect service. Designed to take away the need for pushing a heavy trolley, any bulky or heavy items have a card you can take with you to collect and pay at the tills, and they will organise for your items to be placed in the car at the collection point.
Their food hall showcases the very best of Norfolk’s local brands, with honey from the Kelling Estate, and traditional sweets, there is a wide selection of daily essentials and sought after brands to serve as tasty reminders of Norfolk. But this is not all, there is also the Garden Terrace Café, a calm but social hub overlooking the garden area where you can look out over the stunning countryside whilst you enjoy your food. Their in-house bakery and kitchen serve scrummy breakfasts, lunches and afternoon tea, desserts, and a roast on Sundays, all prepared with local, high-quality ingredients.
Nestled alongside the ever popular ‘Pick Your Own’ fruit trees at Drove Orchard, just off the A149, you will find HortiCo Garden Emporium. A retail plant nursery run by two qualified horticulturists with a wealth of knowledge, HortiCo aims to make the process of buying plants and related gardening products as simple and enjoyable as possible in the most relaxing atmosphere.
An oasis of horticultural calm, this plant nursery is a complementary addition to a diverse range of independent business found on the site. There is also Eric’s Fish & Chips right outside, so you can grab a delicious, family favourite, meal to satisfy your appetite before you head home.
Natural Surroundings Ltd is a peaceful, wildlife-friendly garden designed to delight and inspire. Set just off the Blakeney Road on the historic Bayfield Estate, streams from the Bayfield Lake pass through the gardens drawing all sorts of life to the environment. With a café, shop, and lots of plants for sale, whatever you could need from a garden centre can be found at Natural Surroundings.
Whatever the weather, a trip to a local garden centre in or around North Norfolk is a great option for seniors and carers to have a relaxing and low-exertion day that mingles shopping and a sit down with a good cuppa and a taste of nature. Most places are flat and well-covered with lots of benches and seating so ideal for the less mobile, and many will also have seasonal events and décor to lend an extra bit of excitement to a spur of the moment day out.