Thetford Garden Centre Magazine

WELCOME

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

OUR HERITAGE

Our journey started back in 1982 when Paul & Jean Nixon decided to open a small garden centre in the middle of Thetford. With no business experience in retail or horticulture they managed to build up a thriving business. Operating out of old vehicle servicing units, a large greenhouse was quickly added and the business began to establish itself in the town. The business soon outgrew the make-shift premises and ten years later a move to a purpose built centre on the edge of Thetford was completed.

Since then the business hasn’t stopped advancing with additions and improvements frequently being made. Now headed by Jean and Lucy Nixon, and with twelve family members being involved at one time or another - from work experience through to lifelong careers - Thetford Garden Centre remains a family business. We are hugely proud of this and how our loyal customers have supported us and allowed us to flourish.

Now in our fourth decade we still hold the same values - to provide our customers with a vast range of high-quality plants and goods, valuable advice and an enjoyable garden centre experience.

5 YEAR HARDY PLANT GUARANTEE

We stock only the highest quality plants and our staff can assist you with all the knowledge you need, in order to choose the correct plants for your garden, and how to keep them in the best condition so that they’ll thrive for years. However, if one of our plants should die within the guarantee period, simply return the plant to us with your original receipt and we will be happy to replace it with another plant of the same value.

Please note, this guarantee does not include hardy annuals, biennial plants, bonsai, houseplants, Christmas trees, summer patio plants, half hardy plants or plants reduced to clear. Plants used in landscaping work on behalf of a third party are also excluded as are any plants damaged due to lack of watering or proper horticultural care.

SPRING PLANTING

As we welcome Spring, a bright hopeful time of the year, we watch the plants around us burst into life! With the weather getting (we hope!) a little warmer and the days growing longer, many gardeners begin to prepare and sow flower borders and vegetable patches. March and April are great months to plant perennials and summer-flowering bulbs like gladioli and lilies. Prune hydrangeas in March and get your weeding and mulching done in the Spring, always being careful not to disturb amphibians and other wildlife, or hedgehogs who may still be hibernating. We start to mow our lawns at this time of the year, although you may wish to take part in the growing trend of ‘No Mow May’ which allows the natural clover, daisies and other pollinator attracting flowers to grow freely.

Here at Thetford Garden Centre, we have everything to assist you through these exciting months with a fabulous variety of bulbs, seeds, and mature plants, all ready to burst into life and enhance your garden and your mood! Not sure what you’d like to plant? Come and chat to us and we’ll guide you through the array of choices we have in store.

SUSTAINABILITY

We believe strongly in taking care of our environment and have a number of processes in place including a Sustainability Action Group to ensure we’re doing as much as we can to look after the planet. We source good quality local produce wherever we can and recycle all glass and plastics from our restaurant and garden centre.

We also stock many locally made items, as well as a large range of peat-free and reduced-peat composts. We will be completely peat-free by 2024.

We recycle all wood, paper, cardboard, oil, cooking oil, plastics, food and electronics. All non-recyclable products are sorted by hand and incinerated in order to produce power. Rain water is recycled in water butts, which are used around the site for our own planting. We have a Sustainability Action Group where passionate individuals across the business come together to put ideas and actions into place, in order to improve and implement our sustainability goals.

We aim to educate customers about gardening and wildlife, organic products, and other sustainable measures – our staff are trained to have excellent knowledge of the eco products available, so they can support our customers in making informed decisions.

MACHINERY WORKSHOP

The friendly and knowledgeable staff at our Machinery Workshop will maintain, repair and service your garden machinery, all year round. We will even sharpen blades on your garden tools.

Within Thetford Garden Centre, which was established in 1982, Lime Kiln Kitchen was born of our original coffee shop. Redesigned and enlarged in 2017, a restaurant inspired by travels near and far, furnished with over-sized sofas and artefacts designed to allow our guests to dine within a comfortable and relaxing space. We aim to ensure your visit to the Lime Kiln Kitchen is as first class as possible with fresh, lovingly made food, a wonderful range of drinks, and exceptional service. Still thriving, with great reviews and repeat custom, we hope to maintain our good reputation and continue to offer all of the wonderful things we set out to, on our very first day.

Winner of the Best Garden Centre Restaurant 2023 by the Garden Centre Association for the North Thames Region, we’d love to add further accolades by continuing to strive to be one of the best places to eat in Norfolk.

As you arrive at the entrance to the Lime Kiln Kitchen, within the Garden Centre, you will be greeted and seated by one of our waiting staff. There are a choice of areas to sit in, these include

the intimate lounge area with soft sofas and seating by the fireplace, The Conservatory with a relaxed ambience which then leads into The Glass House. We can accommodate a total of 182 guests internally and a further 45 in our outdoor decked area, complete with parasol shading, with the beautiful views across Kilverstone Estate. Isabella’s Tea Room is our pretty, vintage, heated cabin which can be booked for a private Special Afternoon Tea, for up to six people. Tea is served on vintage crockery and guests can play their own choice of music within the space.

We are a dog friendly restaurant with an area at the rear of The Conservatory for our furry friends. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable and the décor is a blend of colonial, Victorian, and a dash of art deco, inspired by our travels, from nearby Cromer to far away Cape Town. With tables for 2 people, to our Glass House which can accommodate up to 55 people. We are wheelchair and pushchair accessible and aim to accommodate all customer’s seating requests. We also have highchairs, children’s colouring books, pens and toys available.

Opening Times: Monday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm Sunday: 10am - 4pm

DAILY SPECIALS

GLUTEN FREE, VEGETARIAN & VEGAN

CHILDREN’S MENU

LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCE

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

DOG FRIENDLY

AFTERNOON TEA

SEASONAL PIZZA TRAILER

Last orders 30 minutes before closing

EVENTS

In early May, we received a visit from Horticulturalist, TV Presenter and Author, David Domoney. He gave a fantastic presentation, sponsored by Miracle Gro, giving great insight into ‘Wildlife In The Garden’ and ‘Caring For Your Houseplants’ with an interesting and insightful Q&A session, followed by a book signing event. We had a great turnout and hope to provide our customers with more of this kind of event.

We continue to hold our regular Maker’s Markets, providing a selection of stalls selling local goods, held in and around our fabulous yurt. We will also be holding various craft workshops for children during the school holidays, as well as adult crafting experiences including flower arranging, and willow weaving. Yoga Nidra evenings continue throughout the warmer months too.

Our yurt, as well as our small vintage tea-room, Isabella’s, are now available to hire for meetings or small gatherings. Catering can be supplied by Lime Kiln Kitchen. Please contact Angela at angela@thetfordgardencentre.co.uk for more information.

Our Norfolk Pizza Co Trailer re opens on Friday 26th April and will be open throughout the Spring and Summer with regular special musical events. If you have small children, you may like to visit our brilliant new play area complete with tower, slide, mud kitchen and wobbly bridge!

GIFT CARDS

Here at Thetford Garden Centre we now sell our own gift cards available in four Gardening and two Lime Kiln Kitchen designs in amounts ranging from £5 up to £250. These can be purchased in-store or over the phone. We also sell HTA National Garden Gift Cards, which can be purchased in-store at the tills or online via our website. HTA National Garden Gift Cards can be used in all participating Garden Centres across the UK.

LOYALTY SCHEME

Thetford Garden Centre has always offered fantastic value for our customers. With our Loyalty Card you can save even more on everything you buy including food and drinks purchased at Lime Kiln Kitchen and Norfolk Pizza Co.

When you pay, simply present your loyalty card at the checkout, and you get 2 loyalty points for every £1 you spend!

To apply for your card simply pop into the store, fill in our short application form and you will be presented with your card then and there, so you can start saving immediately.

SPRING AT THETFORD GARDEN CENTRE

We extend a warm welcome to all our new and existing customers. As the days get longer, we have plenty of wonderful events and products to whet your appetite and ensure you have a wonderful spring time!

Bunches & Bows

Flowers With a Passion

An independent and family company with a long established history, founded by David Turner in 1960 and now run by his daughter, Lydia

Providing a transparent and tailor-made service to every family at a time when it matters most