Garden Centres in Kent and Sussex

Hi All.... We are going away for the Bank Holiday week and staying in East Sussex, Normans Bay area. We will be spending time in both Sussex and Kent.. I am wondering if anyone knows of some good Garden Centres in either county? Not the national chain sort, but the interesting family run ones (that I have grown to love over here). I am from the states and we don't do garden centres too well over there, not like here anyway! I did a search on line but didn't come up with much there. I hope someone on the list lives in that area or knows of some and can fill me in on a few good places to go.
Pubs included!!!! :D
Thanks so much!
~Dee

 

I got a few up on a search

http://www.google.com/search?q=garden+centres+in+sussex+and+kent

 

Thanks Steve and Nathan for those ideas. I know we won't have loads of time to check out more then a couple, I just would like to see if I can find anything interesting/unusual down there that I havn't seen up here in Lancashire.

 

Hi Dee,
I live in east sussex and use many local nurseries, you are in luck because you have the chance to go and see Sarah Raven`s cutting garden (from BBC gardeners world) she is having an open day this saturday 27th 10am - 5pm it is just off the village of Burwash (home of Kipling)to get there head for Burwash turn left at the church, go 3 miles coming to a cross roads turn right into Willingford lane, Perch hill farm is on the right about 1/2mile down. Should be a great day out. there is also a local food fayre there on that day.
Bank holiday monday Heathfield east sussex hold a french/anglo market with loads of interesting stalls including several local nurseries selling unusual plants.
hope this helps
oh..local pubs The star at Normans bay, good food, loads more in Pevensey just up from there.Pick up the local Free friday-ad paper when you get here and it will tell you whats on.

 

Thanks Sam for the info. Sadly we won't be there to see the Cutting Garden on Sat, We will arrive in the area on Sunday. Have to stop off so hubby can play racecar driver at Silverstone on Saturday .. Part of his B'day prezzie. But the rest sounds good and very do-able. You must live local-ish to the Bay for knowing about the pub there. From what I understand it is a small community which is just what we are looking for.. a quiet place to get away to on the water.
I have not been down that way as of yet so this will be another adventure in getting to know my new country of residence. I do hear tell that y�all have some mighty fine Cider made locally around that part of the country. Will defiantly have to check some of that out.
Thanks again Sam!

 

Oh ooppsss... Sam are you going to Sarah Raven's on Saturday?? If so, do tell us how it is.. wish I was going too.
~Dee

 

Hi Nathan,
For Jim's B'day I bought him one of those Driving Experience packages... you get to choose the kind of car you want to drive or the track you want to drive on and take what they have there to drive. He chose to Drive a Lotus Elise (He REALLY wanted to drive at Silverstone) Jim tends to drive a bit too fast anyway (for my liking) so I thought to get him on a track and see what he's got in the way a heavy foot.

Since I moved over I have become a Formula One fan, I used to watch Nascar in the States. I do catch it every now and then on TV here as well. Haven't been to a F1 race yet, but maybe next year would be good to incorporate into our Hols.

I will pass that info on to Jim, he might need to go back again and try the full circut if that isn't what he will be doing this time.
~Dee

 

hi again Dee, you are in luck I have just found out that Sarah Ravens garden is open sat and bank holiday monday, I will be going on Monday...yipeee!
hope you enjoy your adventure here in sussex.

 

Awsome! Thanks for the bit of info on Sarah's garden. We didn't really have any plans for Monday but maybe the Market you mentioned, the plants there was what got me really interested. We have French markets up here in Lancs. but been there, done that and thought maybe this one in Sussex would be different. The ones here don't have plants. So maybe with a bit of good luck we can do both the Garden and the Market. Thank you so much for the help.. everyone of you. It's so great to get some recommendations of places to go and see and do.
And we might just see you there Monday Sam,
Take care
~Dee

 

Looks good Nathan!

(Is there no end to our Webmaster's talents?)

 

Any of you Motor Heads ever get to Long Marston near Stratford upon Avon for the Bull Dog Bash or car racing meets?

 

hi Dee
did you get to go to Sarah Ravens garden?
I did, spent a pile of money on seeds and plan to go back during the week to buy a few more as I have discovered that the shop is open during the week, so many seeds so little time
what a lucky lady living in such a great house with all that land to play with..heaven!!!
I enjoyed her ease of planting, so much going on.
gave me plenty of ideas for my new allotment and home garden.