The first thing that strikes you walking up to the entrance of the Alpa Garden Centre is the snack van which is ingeniously hooked up to the side of the front of the garden centre.

It sells ice creams, drinks and snacks. This snack bar has a Food Hygiene Rating of 3 out of 5 ("generally satisfactory").

Inside, before you get to the plants they have a pet centre, primarily run by The Jungle Reptiles which does what it says in the name, they sell reptiles and other small pets. This garden centre also sells fish and specially lots of Japanese Koi.

The plants area is basic in the extreme to keep costs low. The paths are reasonably firm gravel and the plants are stacked on wooden pallets. Lots of bedding plants and a few shrubs. Surprisingly the vast majority of the area is covered so rain will not be a problem.

Finally, outside the main garden centre they have birds for sale and also the panels used for constructing an aviary.