The best garden centre in Cambs as decided by our readers - with a pizzeria and food hall

A trip to a local garden centre is a staple activity for many people over the summer. Cambridgeshire has some amazing garden centres and we invited our readers to pick their favourites.

There are so many garden centres across Cambridgeshire, but we wanted to know the very best ones. So, after suggesting eight that are some of our favourites, we asked our CambridgeshireLive readers to decide.

The garden centres on the original list included three in and around Cambridge: Coton Orchard Garden Centre just outside Cambridge, Scotsdales Garden Centre which sells everything from plants to outdoor living and Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop on Newmarket Road.

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Garden Centres from the rest of the county included Ely's Twenty Pence Garden Centre, that also doubles as a pizzeria and coffee bar, Skylark Garden Centre in March, Notcutts Garden Centre in Huntingdon and Arrington Garden Centre in the small village of Arrington.

Altogether, there were 295 total votes, which proves more than anything how much Cambridgeshire locals love garden centres. There was one who unfortunately did not receive any votes - Arrington Garden Centre. We, however, still think it deserves some love and could be one of those unknown gems.

Find the top three garden centres in Cambridgeshire below. Do you agree with the podium winners? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Third place

Coming in at third place with 61 total votes is Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop on Newmarket Road in Cambridge. Certainly one of the most unusual garden centres in Cambridgeshire, it's owned by the NHS and combines a unique farm shop and nursery that covers 7.5 acres with farm animals to meet too.

Visitors can enjoy looking round all of the plants and then wander round the woodland that apparently also has a hobbit house nestled amongst the trees. The greenhouse is also always stocked with seasonal plants, hanging baskets and vegetable plants.

Describing itself as a "NHS therapeutic horticulture project and farm shop", the nursery also works with adults with learning disabilities to help "promote independence."

Second place

The second spot is snatched up by Skylark Garden Centre and Café in March with 72 votes. According to the owners, Skylark is the biggest garden centre in the fenland area. A family-run business it's loved for its café that serves up delicious food and maize maze outside that visitors can explore.

The highly anticipated Skylark Maize Maze that is always grown in a special pattern, is opening on July 20 this year with a variety of fun activities to explore too from go-karts, pig racing, water wars and so much more.

The best Garden Centre in Cambs

And the winning position, crowned the Best Garden Centre in Cambridgeshire, is Twenty Pence Garden Centre just outside Ely. The garden centre won by a landslide with 129 total votes.

Located just outside Ely in Wilburton, Cambridgeshire locals have decided that it's the best in the county. Loved for its variety of things to enjoy when there, you can spend hours shopping round their plants, furniture and its food hall with plenty of local produce and then get a delicious homemade pizza in their orchard pizzeria.

But Twenty Pence is anything but a traditional garden centre. Outside, you will find a mini golf and play area. The mini golf 9-hole course with garden-themed challenges is now open for the 2024 season and you can book at the front desk.