Hayes Garden World outdoor plant display
Hayes Garden World
Garden Centre
Our Hayes employees, have a vast wealth of knowledge, we have several staff with over 50 years experience in each of their fields. Plants, planting and landscaping have been our life for almost 200 years. With over 100 staff across the garden centre, our depth of knowledge is vast. We have one of the largest garden furniture and barbecue departments in the UK with experienced staff available to answer your queries and give advice.

The Hayes Garden World store

Call into store for a world of outdoor living, gifts and local food

The Hayes Garden World store is situated on the southern edge of Ambleside in the beautiful UNESCO Lake District World Heritage Site. Our garden centre is not just somewhere to buy garden plants and tools, we have so much more to offer. From a simple birthday card to the super-easy Traeger wood pellet grills which can elevate your barbecue cooking to another level. We have everything you need to make your outdoor space a comfortable spot for entertaining family and friends, a delicious ‘grow-your-own’ garden, a minimalist urban extra room or just somewhere to enjoy soaking up the sun. Your feathered friends are not forgotten either, we have bird food, homes and baths. Even if you don’t have any outdoor space, you can still benefit from the healing powers of nature by filling your home with houseplants and we are sure to have one to suit every aspect of your room. If you just want to rest your weary feet we have coffee and home-made scones in our refurbished Four Seasons Terrace Café along with our belt-busting Big Breakfast, a selection of main meals, sandwiches, light meals and delicious ice cream sundaes.

Dogs are welcome in store and on the cafe terrace but we respectfully ask that they are kept on a lead at all times and that you clean up any accidents. Unfortunately this has not been the case recently and if customers are not going to be responsible pet owners then we will be forced to re-evaluate this policy of allowing them in store. Please be sensitive to the needs of other customers who do not share the love you feel for your dog, who are allergic to pet hair and those who are simply scared of dogs.

Restaurant

Four Seasons Terrace Cafe at Hayes Garden World

The Four Seasons Terrace Café has just recently undergone major refurbishment. This was instigated by the Covid pandemic which made us re-evaluate our catering strategy and out of this has come a much more enjoyable customer experience. We have removed a substantial number of tables, giving you more space. Greater privacy has been achieved through the use of troughs of plants and our new banquette, high backed seating. Gone is the old self-service system and in is table service, so no more queuing and trying to balance toddlers, bags and heavy trays. As soon as you come upstairs you will be seated and be able to relax for the duration of your meal. 

Our revamped menus are changing with the seasons, every three months, and reflect our new ethos of proving nourishing food and snacks at an affordable price using local suppliers wherever possible, so you can be assured that you are enjoying a taste of Cumbria. Of course, all your old favourites are still on the menu, our famous scones, Cheryl’s delicious custard tart and Farrers’ of Kendal teas and coffee. Gluten free main courses, such as fish and chips, snacks and cakes are always available, as are vegetarian options.

The little ones are not left out they can have a smaller portion of some of the adult meals or enjoy their own snack box containing a range of tasty treats.

Click here to go to the Restaurant website.

If you just want to check our menu, please click here.

Outdoor Plants

foxgloves at Hayes Garden World

Our Outdoor Plant nursery is packed with everything you need to make your garden into a haven for wildlife, a secluded chill out space, a ‘grow-your-own’ delight or just somewhere to grow all the plants you love. Whether you have a modern chic minimalist entertaining zone or the quintessential English cottage garden, we have the perfect plants for that tricky spot. Our displays are designed to give you ideas as to what plants go with each other to give you a garden to be proud of. If you need any help our staff are always on hand to give advice, solve your problems or just to suggest the ideal plant for that particular situation.

Even if you don’t have a garden you can still enjoy growing plants in containers or just a trough on the windowsill can be packed with colourful annual bedding or a mixture of tasty salad crops to set you off on the road of growing your own nutritious vegetables and fruit. Once you’ve tasted your own produce cooked straight out of the garden you won’t want to go back to bland tasteless supermarket fruit and veg. If your idea of having a back garden is just somewhere to BBQ and entertain family and friends you can still make it look stunning with just a few specimen shrubs, conifers or small trees in containers. A pot of mixed herbs besides the BBQ can elevate your grilling to the next level, add rosemary to lamb, basil to a pizza, sage sprigs to pork or thyme to the roast chicken.   

Timber products, aggregates, paving and composts are also located in the nursery area so if re-designing your little patch of heaven is on the agenda, we have everything you need to make it look like a show garden or just more accessible if you have mobility issues. We have a range of greenhouses on display, after all no ‘grow-your-own’ patch is complete without a greenhouse; it allows you to grow a much wider range of produce, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, grapes, chillies and aubergines.

Click here to go to the ‘Looking Good’ page which gives you just a little taste of what is in stock and looking fantastic.

Garden Products

The Garden Product department contains all the usual gardening accessories such as tools, propagation equipment, decorative ceramic or plain plastic pots, watering aids plus the garden essential, wellies.

Your feathered friends are not forgotten either, we have seeds, nuts, fat balls, bird houses, tables and baths and, of course, feeding stations containing all the feeders you need for the various feeds. Why bother spraying chemicals to control greenfly when all you need do is encourage the blue tits into your garden and they will soon clean up the aphids.

Enjoy the sound of soothing running water in your outdoor space and find a little corner for one of our self-contained water features, all you need is a power source and then fill with water. Try and install an outdoor power source close to where you are siting the water feature as the last thing you want are potentially dangerous cables providing a trip hazard trailing across the garden or getting in the way of the mower. We have water features ranging from the minimalist to piles of imitation rocks which ideally suit a wildlife friendly or cottage garden. Just remember to avoid putting in chemicals to clean off the algae when there are children and pets present. 

Garden Furniture

garden furniture at Hayes Garden World

Our Garden Furniture department is one of the largest in northwest England and carries a diverse collection including the very latest designs constructed from lightweight materials which are treated to last. We have lounging and dining sets for when you’re entertaining family and friends, bistro sets for just the two of you, benches to pop in that empty space in the garden where you can pause and admire your handiwork or a sun lounger to allow you to make the most of those rare sunny summer days.

We have one of the largest selections of garden parasols in the UK, essential protection from the UV rays, especially if you intend to use your garden for long periods. The cantilever parasols are the most versatile, allowing full mobility for tracking the sun.

We offer free delivery on all our furniture and barbecue products to anywhere on mainland UK provided the order is over £50.   

The Barbecue Shop

The Barbecue Shop at Hayes Garden World

If you’re an experienced BBQ pitmaster or just starting on your grilling journey we have everything you need in The Barbecue Shop, located at the back of the Outdoor Plant nursery, from a tub of rub to a top of the range outdoor kitchen. We are one of the main stockists for Weber and Traeger wood pellet grills. We also stock Ooni pizza ovens, Grillmaster barbecues and Yeti cool boxes. We have all the accessories you could need, plus cook books and lots of help and advice from our knowledgeable staff. New in store are the outdoor kitchens which contain everything you need, grill, fridge, prep area, plenty of storage for all your utensils, cutlery and crockery and a sink to make sure there is no danger of food poisoning. Having all your BBQ needs together when you are entertaining friends and family allows you to cook and socialise without constantly dashing indoors to the kitchen.

Click here to go to our Youtube BBQ channel where you will find lots of inspiration for a wide range of dishes, not necessarily what you would think of when you think barbecue; stews, cakes, sandwiches, Christmas dinner, crepes and stir fries.

Gifts

Gift department at Hayes Garden World

Our Gift Department has recently undergone a transformation with toys moving into the old clothing and footwear section, housewares are now as you come through the store from the Houseplant Department, books have moved to besides the cards and kitchenware has taken over the old book area. We have widened the aisles to make it a much more comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience, especially when the store is busy.

This department is the place to be if your home needs a bit of TLC, it need not cost a fortune, it’s surprising the transformation a colourful throw, a new rug and a few cushions make. If you love flowers but struggle to keep them alive, we have ultra-realistic artificial blooms in every size and colour, from a tiny pot of cactus to towering spires of foxgloves and delphiniums. We have cards for every occasion, and we can even gift wrap a house plant if you are pressed for time. Our selection of toiletries makes the perfect little present for a special someone or just to say thank you for dog sitting. Wedding and christening occasions are also covered with our range of gifts, wrapping paper, gift boxes and cards.

Our new re-vamped Toy Department has masses of games, crafts, jigsaws, soft toys and colouring books all designed to keep little ones entertained on those rare rainy Lake District days!   

Houseplants

houseplant department at Hayes Garden World

Houseplant sales have rocketed during the pandemic as people have found out the benefits of communing with nature, and this has encompassed houseplants. As a result of this our Houseplant Department has been updated to give you plenty of ideas of what plants to group together along with on trend pot covers to match your décor. If you’re hopeless at keeping plants alive we have a huge selection of cacti which will happily survive with the minimum of attention. At the other end of the scale, we have specialist orchids which do need a little bit more TLC. Terrariums are still on trend and create their own little microsystem which cuts down on the amount of watering, you just need to make sure they are in the correct spot, somewhere light but not in direct sun.  

Pet Store

We’ve all lavished a lot of attention on our pets in the last couple of years with dog ownership rocketing and our Pet Department has just the treat for your beloved 4-legged friend, from a cosy bed to a new bling harness. Try giving it a pet chew to distract it from chewing the furniture or a bright squeaky toy to drive you nuts! Exercise in the park can be much more fun with brightly coloured frisbees and balls.    

Events

If you love barbecue, whether you’re experienced or just a beginner, one of our BBQ courses is the perfect present for the pitmaster or mistress in your life. You’ll learn some new techniques and dishes you would never think possible to cook on a barbecue. If you love Asian, Mediterranean or American cooking then we have the ‘Taste of ……’ classes tailored specifically to teach you how to expand your range into these popular cuisines. These classes are held in the garden centre and are led by top BBQ chefs Richard Holden and Andrew Dickens who both trained with Weber and Traeger. You will be using both these iconic brand grills along with Kamado Joe. If you never thought cooking the Christmas dinner on a BBQ was possible, enrol on the ‘Taste of Christmas’ course and we will show you how to cook the whole of your festive feast on the BBQ. Juggling all the dishes in the home cooker will be a thing of the past when you utilise your BBQ as another oven, you’ll never want to cook poultry in a conventional oven again once you taste your delicious perfectly cooked moist turkey.    

Christmas

Our spectacular Christmas department is open from the middle of October and is guaranteed to give you inspiration for decorating your home over the festive season. We have all the latest colours so why not have a different coloured Christmas tree in every room. Everything you need for Christmas is here in store; cards, gifts, wrap, food, decorations Christmas trees fresh and real, ribbon, wreaths and much much more. Fresh trees are usually in store from the middle of November but if you're making a special trip please phone ahead to check that we have them in store. 

Our Santa's Grotto is renowned and books out as soon as the tickets are released so to avoid disappointing your little ones you may need to be flexible when you visit, as expected the weekends are quickly booked. Tickets are released in September. 

Click here to check out all the Events we are running in store at Hayes.