EMAIL: info@harehatchnursery.co.uk

The garden centre was first started as two separate businesses. Sheeplands first started in 1981 as a small farm shop. Next came along the Hare Hatch nursery in 1993 growing plants and selling them on site and to the local trades. In 2006 both businesses decided to join forces and became known as Hare Hatch Sheeplands.

Although originally a nursery, plants are no longer grown on site instead they are bought in. The choice of plants is excellent and they are kept in tip top condition with hardy plants carrying a five year guarantee. The outside area stocks shrubs, roses, ornamental and fruit trees, perennials, herbaceous plants and fruit trees to name only a few.

Inside the garden centre they sell all those essential gardening accessories for the perfect garden. The Farm Shop has an excellent butchers, Jon Thorner's.

The future of the garden centre is somewhat in the balance at the moment. They have applied for retrospective permission for various buildings they are using but the local council is not being overly co-operative.

THE CAFE AT HARE HATCH SHEEPLANDS

The cafe is called "Caffe Amore" and if you think you have seen the name in a garden centre before, there is another one in Longacres Garden Centre run by the same owners.

One major drawback the cafe at Hare Hatch is that it has been awarded a one star rating (the worst possible) by the Food Standards Agency in April 2012. The new owners really need to obtain a higher rating as soon as possible, certainly I would not eat in a cafe which has only one star.

We will review the cafe in more detail if the rating improves.