Vanstone Park Garden Centre

Been going here for years. During lockdown the owners allowed us to eat sandwiches in our car in the carpark which was really appreciated as this got us out of the house. Staff always friendly and helpful. The new cafe managers have transformed it into a well run concern with a new menu. We eat here twice a week. Overall a nice place to visit.

Wow
There are garden centers and there are epic garden centers,
Well from all the garden centers we have been to this is way above them,
Its like kew gardens with a garden center,
So many items you dont find in others,
A gift that says quality and looking at ALL the plants health ,
We would say a very dedicated team off staff work here,
On that note i must add where credit is due,
We saw 2 members of staff helping elderly couples in one of the most heart warming ways we have seen for a long time, well done to your team, they are part part and parcel of what we saw today,
Just amazing x
Back to where i was,
The centers? I say centers because walking from the main area to the nursery is such a wonderfull walk and at the moment walking near and across the bridge we saw the babiy geese ahhh,
And then forward,
You need to go here its a hidden gem for adults and kids alike ,
From the goods on sale inc the gifts to the cafe and outdoor sitting,
You could teleport to kew gardens,
But this is on your doorstep between, stevenage,coldecote , and hitchin,
Have a look at my pics and if you look closley, yep they have a kids area climbing areas and heres one for mom and dad?
A small railway that takes you through the wooded area ,,
Go enjoy, we did.

Lovely garden centre for both shopping and a day out. My toddler enjoyed a train ride and the playground, as well as the ducks and geese. It's a lovely place, can easily spend a few hours and then grab a bite at the Orchards café.

The staff could not have been more helpful on my visit today: sorting out an issue with my vouchers, advice on the plant I was buying and to use root treatment to get it established. Also helped with loading the car :) Great selection of plants too, found just what I was after.
Update: once again excellent service from staff, I did not have my card and they were able to look me up and point out that I had vouchers to use. Thank you!

Lovely place! We are new to the area and ended up here looking for a plant nursery. Surprisingly, it became our Sunday activity, featuring a lake with ducks, a caffe and a ride through the woods on a miniature train spotting gnomes. Will definitely come back!

I've visited this garden centre a lot. It is split across 2 areas with 2 car parks. You can walk between the areas but if laden with plants you're probably best driving between the 2 areas.

1. At the bottom is the cafe, toilets, indoor plants, gifts, garden furniture, tools, lighting etc.
There is a good selection of garden furniture and gifts in spring and summer. Be aware that during the Christmas season a large portion of this is converted into a Christmas shop. They usually have lovely displays of quality decorations- well worth a visit in all seasons.

2. At the top is the car wash, miniature train (very small),small playground, outdoor plants and pots etc. There is usually a good selection of plants, the shady plants are usually in a shady section so are usually in good condition. The plants in general are in good condition and competitively priced. The barked playground is clean, solid and fenced.

Staff are knowledgeable and helpful across both sites, the toilets are clean and it is accessible for wheelchair users.
There is also a pond with ducks and geese in the middle.

For me this is a garden centre to visit if you need things for your garden/Christmas decorations, rather than as a meet up site but I haven't used the cafe myself.
Definitely one of the best in the area.

This place has improved massively in recent years. They recently opened a new restaurant brand in 2023 with great food. We went there today and had fast service. Nice cafe layout and all the cafe staff seem very welcoming. Way better than the old cafe & cafe management staff they had in the past which were extremely rude.

Staff in all parts of the store are very friendly and helpful if you have any questions about specific plants etc. They have a decent selection of stuff to buy there, quite varied from pots, plants to garden furniture and outdoor lightning.

The geese are funny to watch here too.

UPDATE: Restaurant pricing was good at launch but now has changed to normal price as others. And unfortunately you can arrive early and on somedays they won't be serving food at all, with no notice, only drinks. Also they recently stopped including a pack of crisps with ciabatta/sandwich meals, not sure if this is a mistake or more cost cutting.

It a pretty good way to spend an afternoon even if you don't buy anything (good luck with that). There's a play area for kids and a mini train. It's very well laid out and the store has something for just about everyone.

Very large garden centre, more like a park, with a duck & geese filled mini lake. Cafe, helpful staff, good selection of plants.

Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Helpful staff & a great cafe that's reasonably priced great coffee.

This is a great garden center to spend a good couple of hours at. The kids love the play area and mini train ride. In summertime they also have a huge selection of camping equipment and a sea of erected tents you can view to help you select the right one for your requirements. Big thumbs up from me!

Perfect place to get all your flower and plant feed,well stocked with a wide range of products ,and a very friendly and knowledgeable staff

Always an enjoyable experience. Well stocked, friendly staff. Not sure about the geese!!!! Haven't been chased yet

Amazing breakfast, superb service and, its attached to a garden centre! What's not to like!

Lovely place to visit. Good selection of plants and cafe is nice.

Nice garden centre. It is slightly different to the everyday centres and definitely worth a visit especially in summer.

Lovely garden centre set in beautiful grounds. Mind the ducks and geese when you drive into the bottom car park. Nice shop with Lots of lovely gifts. Good cafe on site. You need to drive up to the plant section passing a good hand car wash. Plants well tended and good condition. Public toilets available on both parts of the centre. Wheelchair accessible

A good mixture of things to buy from clothing, Christmas products, gardening indoors & out & a lovely little cafe.

Great for gardening, a lot of effort put into the Christmas shopping experience 👍

Beautiful garden centre, great variety of plants and a nice cafe too.