They become a sort of one-stop-shop for everything you need to create Christmas spirit.
Lovely scented tree – check!
Wreath – check!
Decorations and lights – check!
Santa’s grotto – check!
Most even have a cafe where you can tuck into a full Christmas dinner from the end of November, sandwiches featuring turkey, stuffing and cranberry or soups using every Christmas ingredient the chef can lay his hands on.
Although usually the haunt of grandads buying pansies, seeds and bird tables, at Christmastime garden centres are filled with families.
Children staring wide-eyed at the twinkling lights and fraught families overheating as they queue to see Santa in his grotto.
The joys.
Really though, visiting a garden centre is one of the first things we do to get into the festive frame of mind.
I love looking at their displays and often pick up a new decoration or two.
And where else can you see and feed real-life reindeer or stand in an adult-sized snowglobe?!
This year I think we’ve visited every garden centre in a 30 mile radius to see who has the best decs and mince pies.
