Ferndale Garden Centre: A Shopper's Guide

Why You Should Visit

• Extensive Plant Selection: You'll find a massive choice of plants, shrubs, and trees, with options sourced from various locations, including France and Hawaii. The selection caters to both indoor and outdoor gardening, with a particular emphasis on houseplants.
• Excellent Houseplant Department: The location offers a wide array of indoor plants, including fiddle leaf figs, pothos, succulents, cacti, bonsai, snake plants, orchids, rubber trees, monstera, and ficus, among many others.
• Quality and Variety of Accessories: Shoppers can expect a good selection of pots in various sizes and materials to complement their plant purchases.
• Great for Gifts: There is a dedicated gift section, and during the Christmas season, a wide variety of decorations and trees are available.
• Quality Garden Furniture: The location sells high-quality garden furniture, including corner sets and hanging egg chairs, that last for years.
• Knowledgeable Staff: The staff are generally friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, providing assistance in finding exactly what you're looking for. Interactions include staff members offering greetings like "Good morning."
• Convenient Location: The garden centre is located near the countryside but also close to St James retail park at Norton.
• Good Coffee Shop: They have a good coffee shop with a selection of cakes and sandwiches.
• Takeaway Option: The café offers a takeaway service, and staff are efficient in preparing orders.
• Competitive Pricing: The garden centre is a little cheaper than another local store, which is located 'down the road'.
• Special Christmas Offerings: The location stocks Christmas lights and decorations, which are worth a visit. Their range of Christmas trees and decorations are especially good and reasonably priced.

Why You Might Consider Alternatives

• Inconsistent Cafe Experience: The cafe receives mixed reviews. Some patrons are very pleased, but others have had negative experiences.
• Potential for Rude Staff: There have been reported instances of rude behavior from cafe staff, such as being "snappy" with customers.
• Cafe Food Quality Concerns: Some visitors have been disappointed with the cafe's food quality and prices. For instance, two jacket potatoes with tuna, and a ham and mustard sandwich, are reported to have cost £25.
• Overpriced Food Items: Be aware that some food items in the cafe may be overpriced; for example, a gluten-free slice was priced at £4.50.