MADAME
On a bright sunny autumn morning, we headed to ‘Petersham Nurseries’.
This is no ordinary garden centre or coffee shop….This is like stepping through the wardrobe and into Narnia!
Located in a rural setting in the village of Petersham, (Richmond, Surrey) the nursery sits next to River Thames and feels like you are in the deepest English countryside, with green meadows and grazing cows.
We had waited on purpose for a bright sunny day to visit, as inside the big old glass greenhouses something magical awaits...
As you step inside you feel like you are entering another world. Yours eyes do not know what to look at first, but for sure you have an intake of breath!
This stunning emporium of beautiful old vintage and shabby chic dressers, wardrobes, chests and side boards are laden elegantly with glassware, vases, candlesticks, home décor, mirrors and at this time of year, lots of pretty fairy lights and Christmas decorations.
To remind yourself you are in a greenhouse, take note of the floor! No posh tiles or flooring here, this is as nature intended.
Looking up and for as far as the eye can see gorgeous chandeliers of all styles hang in each alcove, plants soften corners and offer a rich earthiness to the atmosphere.
The home furnishings come in all styles and colours and the interior design layout is straight out of a glossy house magazine. What makes it ideal visiting on a sunny day is that the sun shines through the greenhouses and reflects off the treasures, making it feel even more like an Aladdin’s cave!
After the indulgence of exploring this wonderland, we walked to the greenhouse next door for coffee and cake. Again this is no ordinary café. With an eclectic range of different styles of garden tables and chairs, (spaced out for social distancing), we sat surrounded by lush green plants and greenery with the warm autumn sunshine warming us.
The latte was smooth and beautifully presented and the almond, lemon and poppy seed cake was delicious.
Our visit would not have been complete without visiting the third and final greenhouse, which really does sell plants and seeds and all things garden!
I am not a gardener, but this place makes the most non-green fingered person want to take up gardening.
The plant displays and watering cans, the coloured garden string is calling you and tempting you to go-green in the true meaning!
I can assure you whatever time of year you go to Petersham Nurseries, there are seasonal treasures to be discovered and new things to explore.
MADEMOISELLE
This cafe, shop, garden centre is not your ordinary cafe, shop, garden centre. I am not one for gardening and being among nature but this place really makes me want to get my hands dirty and do some gardening as well as re-decorate my house.
In addition to its coffee shop and garden centre it has an area for unique, vintage, homeware that you would not necessarily find anywhere else. It's one of those shops where if you had all the money in the world you would buy everything and the way it’s all displayed makes you start to think what extra thing you could do to add to your home to make it that much more extra special.
We kept taking pictures of everything and going round in circles as you realise you might not have noticed that glassware or that rustic chair before. It’s a photographers paradise as there are so many ways you can play around to get the best shot and catch the essence of all the furniture. However, to take the best photos you should definitely go on a sunny day, like we did.
Eventually we made our way to their cafe and had coffee and cake. You could also choose from a lovely selection of lunch options and by looking at other tables the lunches made your tummy rumble because it looks so good.
As we sat in the greenhouse cafe, we were surrounded by plants and flowers which added to the atmosphere. I ordered a Mocha and an Apple-Oat Cake which is just what I needed on an Autumn day and it was yum!
After our appetite was satisfied we ventured into the gardening area with all the tools, seeds and plants as well as pots and vases. Even this was very photogenic.
I have been there a couple of times before and it never gets boring. It's very instagramable and has a distinctive aesthetic which you can’t not love. There are always so many people; tourists and locals admiring this place. If you do visit (one day) I hope you like it as much as I did!
https://petershamnurseries.com/richmond/
November 2020