Brookside Garden Centre

www.brooksidegardencentre.com

Visited on September 15, 2007

The Saturday we visited Brookside was sunny and pleasant. It was an impromptu day to shake jet lag.

I had Brookside on my Internet list of garden centres close to Manchester.  A webpage description indicated that it was a “popular garden centre with all the “usual facilities.” Once there I quickly realized that all the “usual facilities” were not "usual" for Tidewater Virginia where I garden.  I decided then to focus on garden centers in England as a primary focus, rather than just visiting estate gardens.

As Dave and I sat on a bench, we watched car after car with parents and children drive into the centre. Train rides were provided for the children who are potential future gardeners. On their website it is stated that the owner, Chris Halsall, wants to provide a “gentle family experience so long forgotten in this technologically obsessed age.” From my observations, he is succeeding. It was a delightful Saturday family atmosphere.

Background

  • Location – Macclesfield Road, A523, Poynton, Cheshire on 3+ acres along side the Ladybrook/Norbury brook.
  • Transportation – We took a bus from Manchester to Stockport where we boarded another bus which stopped in front of the facility.
  • History – Brookside is an independent garden centre established in 1963 by Chris Halsall, a railroad enthusiast since his teenage years. He also owns Hills Garden Centre near Holmes Chapel & Knutsford. (www.hillsgardencentre.com)
  • Marketing – The centre was advertised as “The Children’s Favorite Railway.” There was a ½ mile miniature rail circuit, with a variety of steam and diesel miniature engines. Up to 50 adult and children passengers can take a ride around the perimeter of the centre. This ride gives the children a thrill while adults view the garden products and plan their purchases. For a fee, Brookside holds children’s private birthday parties with food, games, train rides (and at Christmas time a Santa visit).
  • Service – Brookside advertises daily delivery service at a reasonable charge for all garden centre products. All the employees that we met, including the train engineer, were friendly, courteous, and helpful, even with directions and bus information that we needed. There appeared to be an adequate number of employees to take customers' carts to their vehicles and load them.

Facility

  • Structure – The main garden shop had indoor plants, gifts, and a florist shop. The Aquatic Center was in a separate building. A railroad museum and rail station were also on the premises. A DIY Shop and Homecoming Centre provided additional products. Also on premises was a Hazel Grove Arts and Crafts Center supplying artist and craft materials. These facilities did have their own checkout areas.
  • Access – The centre was located on a major highway with easy access by car and bus.  An adequate size parking lot was on the premises, a short distance from the main garden centre.   The buildings were handicap accessible with wide isles for maneuverability, both inside and outside, as well as ramps in the interior buildings where needed.
  • Appearance – The centre was an older facility, but clean and well maintained with upgrades in some areas.  Indoor facilities were well lighted and spacious.
  • Environment – The children that came with their parents on the Saturday of our visit provided high energy, which is unusual for a garden shop. This small centre made creative use of the limited acreage, not just for merchandise sale, but for the enjoyment of families and the owner.
  • Signage
    • Interior Signs – Interior areas were well marked indicating product areas.
    • Exterior Signs – Basic signs were provided on the benches or directly above. The plant labels in the pots provided care information.
  • Displays
    • Interior Displays – The use of wooden displays, plants, and colorful flowers among the merchandise displays, softened the interior and gave it warmth.
    • Exterior Displays – The theme of this center reflected the owner's interest in model trains and railroads.  The garden displays were built around the railroad station, the memorabilia of that time period, and the tracks.

Plants

  • Outdoor Plants – Brookside carried trees, shrubs, conifers, climbers, alpines, heathers, herbs, fruit trees, and herbaceous perennials, as well as seasonal bedding plants.  Ever-popular winter pansies were on sale for fall planting.  An employee informed us that the Hills Garden Centre has an onsite nursery that provides bedding plants, conifers, and perennials which are also sold at Brookside.
  • Indoor Plants – Indoor plants were healthy, colorful, and attractively displayed. There was a Bonsai Centre with plants and materials for their care.
  • Warranty – There were no warranty signs visible for perennials, evergreens, or conifers.  
  • Quality of Plants – Both indoor and outdoor plants appeared healthy and well maintained.

Merchandise

  • Gifts – There was a gift shop with greeting cards and quality home decorations.  Fresh-cut flower arrangements were for sale. There were books for children and adults.
  • Food – Brookside had two restaurants. The Romany Restaurant and Coffee Shop had a children's menu.  The Deli Cofano Italian Restaurant was also conveniently located on the grounds.
  • Seasonal – Christmas cards and decorations were for sale.  Their website states that Christmas trees, potted trees, wreaths, holly, and mistletoe become available in November.  Other seasonal specials and events are held for Halloween and Valentine's day.
  • Clothing – I did not see clothing for sale.
  • Furniture – Patio furniture was displayed for sale. Conservatory furniture and accessories were also attractively displayed in the conservatories. They also carried outdoor rustic benches, picnic tables, and swing sets.
  • Stoneware – Pots, statutes, garden ornaments, sundials, birdbaths, stonewear, and glazed pots were for sale. Pots ranged in size from house plant use to container gardens for outdoors.
  • Gardening – They carried tools ranging in size and utility from pruning sheers to shovels to garden boots.  Other common garden products such as fertilizers and pesticides were well stocked.
  • Aquatics – They carried a large selection of Koi carp, tropical fresh water fish for the home aquarium, and related supplies including aquatic plants.  Outside the aquatic center there were several attractive displays of water garden features.
  • Structures – They displayed working greenhouses in both aluminum and attractive cedar.  Garden sheds and children's playhouses were also for sale. They displayed models of conservatories that incorporated brick into the structures.  They were very attractive and distinctive.  A show office was on the site for conservatory sales. While traveling by train we noticed that conservatories were a popular room addition onto homes in the U.K.
  • Landscaping/Hardscaping –  A DIY Shop and Homecoming Centre sold small home building products, as well as landscaping materials such as gravel, fencing, building sand, and lawn and turf supplies. They also advertised cricket figurines sold at the DIY Shop.
  • Flower Shop – The florist shop provided fresh flowers for every occasion. They indicated that they carry traditional, exotic, and unusual flowers.  On the premise a florist provided arrangements for weddings, funerals, gifts, and large events.  They advertised deliveries locally, nationally, and internationally thru the Teleflorist Network.

Ecology

  • Recycling – They indicated that they currently recycle pots at their on-site nursery at the Hill's Garden Centre.  In the past they recycled Christmas trees.