EMAIL: Click here.

Haskins Roundstone Garden Centre underwent a massive redevelopment in March 2012 costing £12 million. The interior and exterior sales areas doubled in size and they built a 460 seater restaurant plus a 500 place car park. They even went to the trouble of organising a bus diversion so that local buses now stop within the grounds of the garden centre. Impressive indeed.

The choice of plants on sale is very large and the quality is tip top. Hardy plants come with a two year guarantee. The advantage of all the space available is that there is plenty of room not only to display the normal range of plants but also an excellent choice of larger specimen plants. As far as prices are concerned they are definitely above average for no apparent advantage to the average customer.

Haskins have GBC as their garden building and greenhouse department and it's well stocked and well-displayed. In such a vast area signs are important to direct people to the correct plants and there is no lack of them at this garden centre.

The interior sales area is massive as well with plant gardening accessories only occupying a small part of it. There are so many non-gardening goods for sale that you feel you are in a department store. Interior furniture (as well as garden and conservatory furniture) feature well as do cards, gifts, delicatessen, barbecues, books, clothes, the list goes on and on. Prices again, are higher than they need to be. By all means browse but if you buy beware that you will be paying over the odds for the surroundings.

There is a very large Hobbycraft shop on site and they stock everything imaginable for the budding hobbyist. Next door is Maidenhead Aquatics which is equally impressive stocking a huge choice of fish and aquatics accessories.

THE CAFE AT HASKINS ROUNDSTONE GARDEN CENTRE

One major element to the redevelopment of the garden centre in 2012 was the cafe / restaurant. Nowadays they earn a good proportion of many garden centres income and they are also insurance against bad weather. The new 460 seater cafe is very large, too large in fact for our taste. It has the feel of a big office canteen with thin tables and chairs and rather boring flooring. Don't be mistaken though, it's modern and clean but it lacks even an ounce of atmosphere or charm.

The choice of food is extensive as well with some rather upmarket names to them. Overall the quality of the food is good although the portion sizes tend to be on the small size. The prices of the snack type meals is almost within the range of similar establishments but the main meals are priced far too high.

There is an attractive outdoor seating which really hits the mark, a far better place to eat or drink compared to the main cafe area. The cafe was awarded an excellent five star rating for food hygiene by the Food Standards Agency in April 2012.

DISABLED ACCESS: This is good all round with wide paths, no problem slopes and wheelchairs available at the door.

Other garden centres nearby in the Sussex area include Blackbrooks Garden Centre in Battle and Garden Pride Garden Centre in Ditchling.