Heaton Fold Garden Centre has something for everyone this spring

Just off Chorley New Road, Heaton Fold Garden Centre is run by the council which offers  a great day out at the same time as helping out the local community by providing work placements for adults with learning disabilities.

The adult learners have their own purpose-built facilities, including pool table, kitchen facilities and rest facilities.

They help the staff all year round, which includes planting bulbs for the spring as well as a variety of vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers which are all then used in the onsite café facility.

Heaton Fold Garden Centre (Image: Richard Holton)T

hey help keep the outdoor site clean and tidy, pruning shrubs whenever needed as well as planting a large amount of the summer bedding to sell, which is different to some other garden centres that mainly rely on imported bedding plants.

A spokesperson for Heaton Fold Garden Centre said: “The majority of customers visit knowing that when they spend, they are supporting these placements; this adds value to the students’ lives and their parents’ lives, plus the huge satisfaction that the staff receive.” 

Heaton Fold Garden Centre has lots on offer for customers too with its Wild West market town mock-up, a Japanese themed Garden complete with a koi fishpond, a Caribbean-style ‘Tiki’ Bar, and beach hut.

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Heaton Fold Garden Centre (Image: Richard Holton)The centre also has dozens of indoor and outdoor exotic flowers and plants, plus everything you could ever need for your garden, from tools to decorative pots and much more.

There is an onsite café selling hot food and beverages as well as a gift shop selling greeting cards, seasonal giftware, handbags, and a clothing fashion range.

In another area there is an indoor showroom with tools, solar lights, garden furniture and sundries, as well as all the feeds and seeds.

The Wild West market town, complete with a bank saloon, stocks and a Clint Eastwood-lookalike figure is used to host their monthly artisan markets, with enough room for twenty to thirty stalls, which is held on the fourth Sunday of every month and has everything on offer from cheeses, local honey, hand-made gifts and even wreath-making.

Heaton Fold Garden Centre is open seven days a week, from 9am to 4pm throughout the week, and 10am to 4pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Only assistance dogs are allowed on-site due to the safety of the adult learners and valuable plant stock.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.