a sneaky visit to ‘Petersham Nurseries’
28th October 2015
It’s been a busy few weeks trying to get kitchen photo shoots done before the days get too dark and dingy. This means lots of trips, (usually in a southerly direction) to see our lovely customers and their beautiful houses. We are up early (that’s me and Tim) van packed and off down the motorway, we spend a few hours at the shoot then back up the M1 to bed, it’s so tiring but I love it!! last week we had two shoots, so we stayed in the very beautiful Kew Gardens which was half way between the two kitchens we were photographing. As luck would have it Petersham Nurseries was so close it seemed a shame not to pop in, I persuaded Tim to do a detour and we spent an hour oohhing and arrghing and snapping away. The oohhhing and arrgghhing may have been louder from me but I think Tim was impressed too.
I have been wanting to go for ages, probably from images on pinterest, checking out their website and also seeing the interesting things they sell. Also for their world renowned ‘very rustic cafe’ with dirt floors and wobbly tables, frequented by Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Stella Mc Cartney!! Their chef Skye Gyngell, originally from Australia began working at Petersham in 2004. A garden centre with wonky floors, mis matched chairs, oodles of fairy lights and vines climbing over the dirty glass of the greenhouse where the cafe was situated would not immediately seem the place for such a well regarded chef. Skye began cooking for a maximum of 10 people all seated on one table, a dream of a job, small intimate and totally quirky, 11 years on she has been awarded a michelin star.
The entrance to Petersham is easy to miss, it is so understated, in fact slightly disheveled. I think this is part of the appeal, not to say it is tatty, far from it, but it is just easy, not contrived. But as we all know ‘not contrived’ and ‘easy’ is not easy!! it’s a true skill and Peteresham gardens have got it in spades!!!
Essentially it is just a largish garden centre in a delightful village, with several old greenhouses, outhouses and gravelled areas for outdoor plants and gardeny things. It’s just done so much better than any other garden centre I have ever been to, the plants are all in lovely condition and in lovely pots or on a lovely table. No half dead petunias in a plastic pot here!!! Everything is done well and with a bit of thought and unadulterated style, it’s an absolute delight to see something beautiful everywhere you look.
The thing that strikes you is its choices of things to sell, so carefully considered to appeal to people who don’t like ordinary and expect quality. It is for people who seek out something unusual or quirky or old or just different. It’s not polished and posh and glam in the usual way, it is polished and posh and glam in a boho cool sort of a way. Inside the mix of plants and gifts is awe inspiring, it’s a veritable feast for your eyes. Everywhere you look there is a ‘thrown together’!! display of plants, pots, very expensive crockery from the awesome Astier De Viallette and dried hydrangeas just looking beautiful.
Green house after green house of such cool stuff, expensive but cool, brands you just don’t see on the highstreet, it’s amazing you just have to go.
There is also a little tea room with home made cakes so please go and see this place. I managed to come away with a camera full of photos and some of these fluffy green leaf balls!! I had a ball and haven’t stopped talking about it ever since. It’s actually similar in many ways to Cotes Mill, room after room of things to make you happy.
