Christies Garden Centre Magazine

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Garden Centre Magazine for Christies Garden Centre,

Inside this edition you can find a plentiful amount of information on what you can find instore, including a section on monthly garden tips. With knowledgeable and friendly staff on hand in store to help with advice or inspiration, complemented by the huge variety of stock available, you will be sure to find what you need for your upcoming garden and/or home projects. This edition also includes many different informative editorials and alongside you will find local businesses whose services may just be what you are looking for.

We have also launched a digital copy of the magazine, available to view on your smart phone instantly. Please scan the QR code, featured at the bottom of this page, and this will bring up the publication for you to view. One of the most exciting features of our digital publication is that you can interact with the garden centre's social media or connect with local business websites with just a quick tap on your device.

As always, we welcome feedback on our magazine, if you have any comments you'd like to add, we would love to hear them. Please email: info@yhgmedia.co.uk

Kind regards and happy reading!

Johnathan Beveridge Magazine Editor

So much more than a garden centre

About Us

For 42 years Christies Garden Centre has been helping gardeners create beautiful outdoor spaces, but what lies behind the front doors is more than just a garden centre.

Director Christine Christie (wife of Ronald Christie, fifth generation) and the team have worked tirelessly over the years to transform the garden centre into a popular four-star visitor attraction drawing people from all over the UK and some far-flung places too.

On 3rd April 1982, the Garden Centre was officially opened by the well-known gardeners Jim McCall and George Barron of the Grampian TV programme, The Beechgrove Garden, with over 5000 people attending the event. New visitors are always surprised when they walk in for the first time and often describe it as a Tardis, revealing a different department at every turn.

It does look small from the outside, but in this case, looks are definitely deceiving because there is a lot to see and do. With a range of gifts, kitchenware, pet accessories, clothing, seasonal items and a food hall, customers are spoiled for choice on a trip to Christies.

Feathered Friends

As you walk through the Plant Area, you may hear the flutter of wings and a chorus of calls coming to you from the edge of the Garden Centre.

Nestled in next to the Play Garden, a visit to our aviary is a must when you come to Christies! Comprising of three individual enclosures and housing a wide variety of birds, the aviary is a bustle of activity at all times of the day.

Keep an eye out for the following birds in the main enclosure:

•Zebra Finches, squeaky dog toys chirps

•Golden Pheasants, majestic golden crown and long tails

•Rosellas, rainbow of colours

•Chinese Painted Quails, darting around the floor in groups

If you’re lucky you might also spot Cheeky, our Eurasian Eagle Owl. She likes to sleep high up in the corner of her enclosure during the day but may be seen hopping from branch to branch or flying down to the aviary floor.

And we cannot forget our superstar, Charlie our Chattering Lory who you will meet on the way out to the plant area. Charlie came to live with us in 2004 and is always popular with our visitors - young and old. He is a real character! His sweet nature and playful personality ensure that the Garden Centre is never dull when he’s in the mood to entertain. Many are welcomed with his very clear ‘Hello’!

Please note: Birds in the aviary are donated by members of the public who are no longer able to look after them and are not available for sale or re-homing.

A Touch of the Tropics

With a range of succulents, ferns, trailing and foliage plants, as well as orchids, air plants, bonsai trees and carnivorous plants, there is something for everyone within our sea of green.

Complement your new houseplant with a stylish pot from our collection of indoor ceramics, as well as essential sundries such as houseplant feeds, supports and potting compost.

Searching for something specific? Email the Garden Team at gardeners@christiesoffochabers.com and we will endeavour to help you source your requests.

Indulge yourself and introduce some greenery to your indoor spaces by browsing our sizeable selection of houseplants.

Christies Garden Centre

Awaken Your Inner Gardener

From roses to raspberries, pansies to pond plants and conifers to climbers, our Plant Area contains everything you need to transform your outdoor space.

At Christies, we pride ourselves on being able to offer a year-round selection on a wide assortment of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, trees and much more.

Looking to brighten up your containers and small spaces? Choose from a variety of seasonal bedding, alpines and rockery plants, as well as herbs, fruit bushes and vegetables for those Grow Your Own gardeners.

Our Garden Team is on hand to help and advise you 7 days a week, be it on choosing the right plants for your shady space or advising what feed to use to perk up your favourite rose.

Searching for something specific?

Email the Garden Team at gardeners@christiesoffochabers.com and we will endeavour to help you source your requests.

Teapots Restaurant

The Teapots restaurant is a hit with visitors, whether you’re looking for a quiet moment with a hot drink and a cake during shopping, lunch or even a High Tea on a Sunday.

In 1989 one of the glasshouses was shuttered off, roofed, floored, equipped with cooking facilities and furnished to emerge as a tearoom serving ice cream, soft drinks, coffee or a nice cup of tea with snacks and cakes.

Today it is known as The Teapots restaurant and is a hit with visitors, whether you’re looking for a quiet moment with a hot drink and a cake during shopping, lunch or even a High Tea on a Sunday.

Afternoon Teas are also served between 2pm and 4pm, 6 days a week. Please note, booking for High Tea and Afternoon Tea is essential.

We offer breakfast, lunch and snacks, all freshly prepared in the kitchen with seating for up to 250 people including an outside area which is open on fairer weather days and dogs are welcome to dine with you there too.

Open 7 days a week until 4.30pm. Monday: 9.30am Tuesday - Saturday: 9am Sunday 10am.

Meal Times:

Breakfast 9am (9.30am Monday) - 11.45am Light Bites 11am - 4pm Main Meals 12pm - 3pm.

Beautiful Blooms, Stunning Scents

March

April

May

Doronicum / Leopard’s Bane

Anemone Blanda / Balkan Anemone

Lamprocapnos Spectabilis / Bleeding Heart

Convallaria Majalis / Lily-of-the-valley

Pulsatilla Vulgaris / Pasqueflower Flowers Aquilegia / Granny’s Bonnet

Wisteria

Camassia cusickii / Cusick’s Camass

and Plants for Pollinators

June

July

August

The Play Garden

Outside, the Play Garden is like a magnet for children.

Suitable for ages up to 12, this is the place they can get rid of some energy by climbing and exploring the play equipment which includes two spectacular climbing frames that can be seen from the A96, a giant jumping pillow, a seesaw, self-propelled go karts (always a hit but worth knowing that they are age and height dependent) as well as smaller ride-ons suited for littler legs plus play equipment for wheelchair users. There is also a Soft Play and Role Play Tent for under 5s.

The Catering Van serves ice cream, drinks and snacks to quench your thirst or settle rumbling tummies IF they can tear themselves away from playing for a few minutes (and give the grownups a well deserved break from supervising the shenanigans).

The Play Garden is seasonal and opens at the start of the Easter Holidays which usually coincides with the time the clocks go forward in the Spring and closes when the clocks go back again at the end of the Tattie Holidays.

Access All Areas!

We pride ourselves on being an accessible business and have gone the extra mile to make your day out as pleasant, easy and inclusive as possible.

We have accessible parking spaces in our carpark and wheelchairs just inside the exit doors for customer use as well as wide doorways, aisles and ramps throughout the shop, restaurant and outside areas.

PLUS, the addition of a Changing Places facility addresses the need for specialist toilet and changing space which enable people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, their parents, carers and assistants to enjoy days out. There is a hoist and adult sized changing bed as well as a toilet with handrails and basin which assists in allowing freedom of movement and dignity for everyone. There is also another wheelchair accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities in the shop and in the Play Garden.

Out in the Play Garden*, we have also added wheelchair equipment so that wheelchair users of all ages can join in the fun. There is a wheelchair trampoline, an all-abilities roundabout and, the pièce de resistance, a wheelchair swing.

*The Play Garden is seasonal and there is a charge for entry to play.

The Food Hall was established nearly 5 years ago and is packed with delicious fayre including oils, preserves, shortbread and the well-known COOK frozen foods.

Gifts & Homeware

The extensive giftware and home accessories department has been rearranged and is the perfect place to buy that special something for that special someone. Need art for your wall, a frame for your desk or a trinket for your dresser? You’ll find the very thing you did not know you were looking for.

Stepping Out in Style

At Christies we have quite the selection of clothing for men & women available in styles, colours & fabrics to suit all. Plus, a variety of accessories to bring your whole outfit together.

Ladies can indulge themselves with beautiful ranges from Jane Austin & TIGI and our PINNS trousers and Claudia C tops are always popular. We have a few pieces from Dreams & Powell Craft too, plus gloves and scarves from Powder, Couthie, Heritage Traditions and Aran Traditions. Our shoe selection has expanded too, with boots, shoes and slippers from Briers and ranges from LJ&R as well as wellies for both men & women.

You will also be spoiled for choice with our vast collection of bags, purses and jewellery.

The men have not been forgotten with Jackdaw & Hoggs of Fife keeping them looking dapper. Along with the jumpers, shirts and jackets, there are belts, gloves, hats and scarves plus walking sticks in various designs and sizes.

sure

The Christies Gift Card can be spent throughout the store, garden centre, Teapots Restaurant and Play Garden. The card can be loaded with any amount and makes the perfect gift for those that can be a bit harder to buy for OR for someone that you know loves a trip to the Garden Centre.

We now also accept the Moray Gift Card throughout and you can also pick one up here if you’re looking to gift it to someone.

National Garden vouchers are also accepted but not in the Restaurant or Play Garden.