The best garden centres and plant shops in London

When it comes to urban gardening, the N1 and W6 Garden Centres have North and West London covered, respectively. These award-winning garden centres are distinguished by an assortment of indoor and outdoor plants that stretches from familiar species to seldom seen ones. The customer service at these beloved London plant shops is on point as well, with the staff keen to provide expert advice should you need it. Plus, the W6 branch boasts an indoor houseplant jungle as well as a lush café.

Petersham Nurseries, celebrated worldwide not only for its gardening expertise but also for its exceptional hospitality and interior design offerings, operates a garden centre in Richmond. It provides a delightful setting for an afternoon outing, where visitors can shop for essential gardening supplies, distinctive vintage decor, and magnificent plants. Treat yourself to afternoon tea in the on-site Teahouse for the complete experience.

The Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town is a family-run establishment dedicated to urban gardening. This botanical sanctuary offers a vast selection of indoor and outdoor plants, including rare specimens, along with an array of pots, planters, garden tools, and decorative accessories, available both in-store and online. The knowledgeable and passionate staff at The Boma Garden Centre are committed to assisting customers with garden planning and sustainable gardening practices, making it an ideal destination for both experienced and budding gardeners.

Squire's Garden Centres first established their presence with the Twickenham branch in 1964 and have since expanded with multiple locations across the country. This historic UK garden centre continues to compete with newer retailers, offering a wide range of trees, shrubs, garden plants, garden products, and outdoor furniture, complete with helpful assistance from the friendly staff. There's a chic on-site café, too.

Founded in 1984 on Sydney Street by the second generation of the Fenwick family, The Chelsea Gardener remains a family-run enterprise to this day. A haven for plant lovers from Chelsea and further afield, The Chelsea Gardener offers a selection of high-quality garden products and plants, perfect for enhancing indoor and outdoor spaces. You can also take advantage of their professional landscaping service, regardless of your garden size. There's also a sibling branch in Fulham, The Palace Gardener.

With its unique setting along an outdoor railway track in Battersea, Battersea Flower Station features an atypical elongated layout. Visitors can enter at either end and exit at the other, strolling through the verdant array of hundreds of plants along the way. In addition to the lush foliage, the plant store offers the full spectrum of gardening essentials, including tools, compost, pots, and weed killers, as well as houses an on-site florist for those seeking a beautiful bouquet.

Camden Garden Centre, situated in the bustling centre of the city, offers much more than its daily assortment of high-quality plants, a wide array of pots and planters, gardening tools, and outdoor furniture. Having established itself as a cornerstone of the local community over the past forty years, this garden centre was actually one of the UK's pioneering social enterprises. Its key mission is to offer training and job opportunities to individuals facing challenges in the job market.

Capital Gardens, one of the UK's premier garden centre groups, operates several expansive plant stores London-wide, providing an extensive selection of plants and gardening accessories. Their offerings include rare specimen plants, garden furniture, a variety of pots and planters, landscaping machinery, and more, catering to a wide range of customers, from urban gardening enthusiasts and houseplant collectors to professional landscapers and country estate gardeners.

Clifton Nurseries in the heart of Maida Vale is one of London's oldest and most picturesque garden centres. This gardening inspiration hub boasts glasshouses brimming with exotic flowers and plants, abundant foliage, and trees. The London nursery offers a wide selection of gardening tools and accessories, as well as professional garden design and landscaping services. Visitors can also rest up in the charming on-site café.

In its three decades of service, Sunshine Garden Centre, located near Alexandra Palace, has earned numerous awards, including the title of the UK's Best Independent Garden Centre. Spanning two acres, the North London nursery stocks a wide variety of seasonal plants, from bedding varieties to grand trees. They endeavour to source unique and rare plants upon request and provide a free replacement for hardy plants that perish despite proper care.

Conservatory Archives started out in 2015 as a small Hackney Road shop, but soon expanded to other, bigger locations. They provide an extensive assortment of plant species, along with decorative planters, various gardening accessories, and services such as repotting. They've done something special with their original shop too, turning it into a living exhibition space for carefully grown installations you can come take a look at.

Despite its modest size, the Alleyn Park Garden Centre in Dulwich regularly receives high praise from its customers. Week to week, the South London garden centre offers a diverse selection of plants, including a special section for houseplants. In addition, it stocks a variety of gardening tools and accessories, with knowledgeable staff on hand to help with all your gardening needs.

The Flower Warehouse in Cambridge Heath lives up to its name, the vast space brimming with indoor and outdoor plants, terrariums, cacti, and various other types of greenery. This verdant London plant shop is ideal for a leisurely walk to admire the foliage and discover your new best bud. A range of pots and decorative accessories is also on offer.

World's End Nurseries, the oldest garden centre in Chelsea, with over forty years of dedicated customer service, offers an extensive range of stunning outdoor plants, houseplants, exotic varieties, topiaries, and all the essentials for plant care and growth. If you're in a rush to get your new garden space sorted, they even provide an "Instant Garden" service, where their expert gardeners swiftly design and deliver your green haven.

The Nunhead Gardener is a London-based collection of chic garden centres and plant shops. These lively and artistically arranged spaces provide a variety of indoor and outdoor plants, trees, flowers, gardening necessities, and homeware, set in an inviting atmosphere with a vibrant soundtrack that enhances the urban jungle experience. The knowledgeable staff are always on hand to offer expert advice on plant care and garden maintenance.