UK's 25 best garden centres in the UK - and one is in Devon

Devon has one of the best garden centres in the UK, according to the Daily Mail's 2024 roundup. The publication recently revealed its 25 best garden centres in the country, ranking each one on different aspects, such as coffee shops and plant selection.

And Otter Garden Centre in Ottery Saint Mary made the prestigious list. Other factors The Mail considered when ranking garden centres was houseplant selection, other items for sale and an overall score.

This is what the Daily Mail had to say about Devon's best centre: "Otter Garden Centre supports local community events, such as the Ottery Saint Mary FoodFestival, and it stocks many unusual plants.

"The first and largest in a chain of seven garden centres across the Southwest started out as Otter Nurseries in 1964. It offers a full day out and supports local community events such asthe Ottery Saint Mary Food Festival."

Plant selection: 9/10 – Specialises in hellebores grown by its own team of experts, alongside other herbaceous plants, shrubs, and spring bulbs.

Houseplant selection: 8/10 – Stocks many unusual plants from tropical to Mediterranean species.

Other items for sale: 7/10 – As well as gardening accessories, sells toys, gifts, clothing, and pet essentials.

Coffee shop: 8/10 – A family-friendly coffee shop serving homemade food, roasts, and a wide selection of cakes.

Overall score: 8/10

The Daily Mail’s unranked top 25 garden centres in the UK are as follows:

1. Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree, Essex

2. Notcutts, Woodbridge, Suffolk

3. Ruxley Manor, Sidcup, Kent

4. Merriments, East Sussex

5. Haskins Snowhill, Copthorne, West Sussex

6. Hillier Garden Centre, Winchester, Hampshire

7. Clifton Nurseries, Maida Vale, London

8. Petersham Nurseries, Richmond

9. Burford Garden Centre, Oxfordshire

10. Bournville Garden Centre, Birmingham

11. Bridgemere Garden Centre, Nantwich

12. Bents Garden & Home, Warrington

13. Barton Grange, Preston

14. Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

15. Tong Garden Centre, West Yorkshire

16. Cowell’s Garden Centre, Newcastle

17. Hayes Garden World, Cumbria

18. Pugh’s Garden Village, Cardiff

19. The Old Railway Line, Brecon, Powys

20. Caulders Mugdock, Milngavie, Glasgow

21. Simpsons, Inverness

22. Monkton Elm, Taunton, Somerset

23. Otter Garden Centre, Ottery Saint Mary, Devon

24. Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, Lostwithiel, Cornwall

25. Coleman’s Garden Centre, Templepatrick, Northern Ireland